Titans - Rising Robin & Invasion! Crossover Fanfic
by ReemasB
Summary: Richard Grayson noticed the people in his life forgetting who he was & gaining memories of alternate lives. He didn't think it could get any worse. When the Dominators arrive, reeking havoc on the East coast, Richard is forced to reunite his team that he betrayed years ago, mend broken bonds, & fight against a formidable foe from another planet. Sequel to "Starling Wing".
1. Chapter 1: Alive

**Chpt. I: Alive**

"Cheyenne," Richard gasped as he rushed to Cheyenne's side, leaping onto the bed & holding her head up onto his lap. He watched as her eyes fluttered in & out of slumber, & as her breathing grew quieter & quieter.

Richard searched his bedroom for answers. He needed to act quickly. Cheyenne could be dying. What did he have that could help her?

Richard set Cheyenne's head over his shoulder & carried her up with his arms, cradling her like a child. He went to his bathroom door & kicked it open. Richard walked over to the bathtub & set Cheyenne's body down. He turned on the water faucet, then turned the knob 90 degrees towards the hot setting. He watched as the tub filled up with steaming water. He reached for Cheyenne's hand & squeezed it tight. "Cheyenne," he breathed.

She lay still for minutes, not moving, not making a sound, not even flinching at the sensation of scorching heat. This didn't make sense. Was this really Cheyenne? How could it be here, right now? Was this real?

Richard thought to the past week & a half he spent away, chasing down a red hooded vigilante that was dropping bodies from Gotham City to Star City. He discovered the Red Hood to be none other than Jason Todd. Somehow, the fallen Robin had come back to life & was murdering criminals in hopes of gaining enough attention from the Batman to enact vengeance on Bruce.

And now Cheyenne was laying in Richard's bathtub.

Richard rubbed his face with his hands. How were people just coming back to life all of a sudden? Was this just an act of some unholy forces? Something supernatural & demonic? Was this another trick? A trap? Some result of a cloning process that went haywire? Or maybe it succeeded, & Cheyenne was the living proof. When he last saw her, Cheyenne perished in a fire in the hands of John Constantine. Cadmus cleaned up the mess, however, covering up the facts of the event. Could Cadmus have done something? Or was it Constantine?

It didn't matter. Richard would figure that out soon.

Suddenly, Cheyenne bursted out a scream of agony, splashing in the steaming water. Richard rushed to shut the water off, being splashed in the process. Richard grabbed Cheyenne's shoulders & cooed softly, calming her down. "Cheyenne, it's okay. It's me. It's Dick. I'm here now, you're safe."

Cheyenne's breathing slowed to a steady pace. She glanced towards Richard & smiled softly. She laid her damp head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her small frame. "Dick," she managed to breathe softly.

* * *

Richard handed Cheyenne a blanket for her hair. She wore a towel around her body as her clothes were left drying over a rail in Richard's balcony. Richard watched as she shivered, still attempted to dry herself off. He honestly wasn't sure about his method of waking her up. He had totally forgotten attempting CPR on her, or even checking for a pulse. After all...it was Cheyenne.

"Do you...need a glass of water?" Richard asked.

Cheyenne looked up at Richard with tired eyes & nodded. "That would be good," Cheyenne said softly.

Richard got up from the bed next to Cheyenne & walked out of the bedroom, making his way through his cozy living room, to his kitchen. He walked to the fridge & opened it, grabbing a bottle of water. He glanced down on the fridge door shelf & noticed a few bottles of beer. Richard scoffed. The last time he saw Cheyenne, the two of them were sharing a beer together.

Richard opened the bottle of water & poured it into a glass. He instantly kicked himself. He didn't need to do that; he could have just given her the bottle. He turned to the fridge to grab some ice cubes, then hesitated. Should he give her ice in her water? She wanted to cool off from the bath, but, she was cold NOW. Richard sighed, walking back to the bedroom, confused & nervous. Richard smiled as he approached Cheyenne, handing her the glass of water.

Cheyenne took the glass from Richard's hand & smiled back, then took a sip from the glass. She gulped as she took down a mouthful of water, as though she hadn't had a drink in years. Richard arched his eyebrow at this.

Cheyenne sighed. She looked around the apartment, then back at Richard. "Dick, uh…" Cheyenne's voice trailed off as she began to say something, although it didn't seem like she had the right words to say.

Richard leaned forward. "I...have a lot of questions, Cheyenne," he started.

Cheyenne nodded. "Yeah. I...I think I knew that. I don't know."

Richard bit his lip. He glanced towards Cheyenne's hand & found himself slowing reaching for her hand. Before the two even made a physical connection, she interlocked her fingers with Richard's.

Cheyenne gasped a pleased breath. "Whoa," she said softly.

Richard smiled, rubbing his other hand around their hands. He brought her hand up to his mouth & kissed it. "Cheyenne, you have no idea how happy & confused & scared I am right now."

Cheyenne took a sip from her water, then set it down on a nightstand beside the bed. She inched forward, towards Richard. "Why, Dick?"

Richard shook his head. "I don't know. A lot has changed since the last time I saw you. I mean...after Roy & I found you in Chinatown back in Gotham, I...I thought I lost you."

Cheyenne stared at Richard as he continued. "I have been through so much since that night. I fell in love again, but...I also was hurt. A lot. I hurt a lot of people, too. I...I became a vigilante, working alongside the Batman. Then...things got stranger. Metahumans kept appearing, & criminals got stronger. I...I lost a lot of people, Cheyenne. People died, people changed, & I lost trust in a lot of friends, & a lot lost trust in me. I...I had to get away from everything." Richard smiled, reminiscing. "I remember when Roy told me, after what happened in Chinatown, that he needed a familiar face. And you appearing now...it could very well be an omen, but, I'd like to think it's a blessing."

Cheyenne smiled, rubbing her hands around Richard's. Then she sighed, & her face shifted to something sadder. "Dick, I...I don't remember what happened in Chinatown. I have a vague memory of something happening there, & I remember some nights with a girl named Kori & Rachel, but...it's in pieces. What happened that night?"

Richard caught himself at a loss for words. Had she really lost her memory, or was it a ploy? It didn't matter. "You...you died, Cheyenne. There was a fire. This...man, John Constantine. He set the place on fire. He...he killed you. But he was sent by this other man, Nolan Drake. He called the hit, burning the warehouse down. It was just to hurt me. Nolan...he wanted to destroy me by killing you."

Cheyenne nodded slowly, glancing down at her feet. Somehow, the notion of her dying seemed to fly right over her head. Cheyenne cleared her throat. "Are...are you sure I died?"

Richard scoffed. "I really don't know, you tell me!"

Cheyenne rubbed her hands over her thighs. "I mean...I remember Chinatown, but, it's all faded. I remember life from after Chinatown. I remember studying to become a fashion designer in Metropolis, & moving here to Blüdhaven. But...I don't remember that fire. A few nights ago, I just got a feeling, some feeling. I knew I needed to come here, but I wasn't sure why. One of your nice old neighbors let me in. She called me 'Barb', & gave me a spare key that she said you left with her. I've just been here for a few hours. I wasn't sure why, but, I just a feeling."

Richard stared at Cheyenne, trying to read her sincerity. He wanted to believe her, but, something still kept him from being able to fully open his arms up to her again. But...part of Richard just didn't care. He just wanted to hold her again, after having lost her for so long.

But Ms. Goldstein confused her with Barbara. That much just hurt & confused Richard even more.

"So...fashion design, huh?" Richard asked, trying to get Cheyenne to reveal more to him that he could use to piece together the mystery.

Cheyenne nodded. "Yeah, my parents managed to send me there after all of the time I spent making dresses out of scratch in high school."

Richard arched his eyebrow. "Your...parents," he started. He grew up with this girl in an orphanage, where she left after years to be adopted by the Fosters. These were the cruel parents who emotionally abused her, causing her to run away.

Cheyenne smiled. "Linda & Xavier were really kind to me, to be honest. I was happy to be with them."

Richard bit his lip. She was scarred by the supernatural occurrence that caused her parents to shun Cheyenne & disown the poor girl. She...she hated them. Right? Richard sighed. "There is definitely something up, here. Things are different. I...I need a second opinion on this."

Cheyenne nodded softly. "I...I guess that's understandable. I'll let you do what you need to do."

Richard nodded, standing from the bed & walking out of the bedroom. He swung the door, letting it close slightly, but not wanting to leave it completely shut. He sighed & rubbed his temples as he walked towards the balcony. He leaned over the rail, looking out into the skyline of Blüdhaven. He wanted to be done with the abnormal & crazy things in his life. He wanted it all to be over, but...it would never be that way. Richard groaned, running a frustrated hand through his hair. How could the dead just...come back? With new memories?

Richard shook his head. It was a clone. Cheyenne was a clone, programmed with new memories. Cadmus had done it before, with Jim Harper. They could have done it with Cheyenne too. After all, they were at the crime scene after the fire destroyed the warehouse, along with Cheyenne.

It was a clone. Right?

Richard took his phone out & stared at it. He needed someone, anyone to talk to. Part of him wanted to dial Roy's number, but...he was just getting settled into a life off the grid again. He couldn't bother him so soon. He thought of Tim, but, Tim never knew Cheyenne. No one else knew about Cheyenne, other than Bruce. But...he couldn't go to Bruce.

Richard sighed. He knew exactly who to call. He was just scared to call her.


	2. Chapter 2: Hello Again

**Chpt. II: Hello Again**

Richard sighed, breathing slowly as he took in the sounds of the nightlife in downtown Blüdhaven. The town was easily a worse dump than Gotham. The scum in this town, however, wasn't as...passionate about their crimes. It was just petty.

Richard looked over the rooftop & breathed heavily. He had spent so much time here, & he wish he could say he loved it. Blüdhaven was his home for a while. He couldn't have asked for another better place to have grown up in, to REALLY grow up in & create his own identity. It was a decision he had made & would never regret. Richard would never forget the times he had in Gotham, but at the end of the day, he knew that Gotham was more of a heartache than a home. It hurt him in way too many ways. In Blüdhaven, he at least had his own duty to himself as a man. He wouldn't let Gotham hold him back any longer.

Of course, he had gone through so much. From the second his parents died, his world had changed forever. He was given a new life with Bruce. He trained alongside the Batman. He had been given brothers. He had fallen in love. But then everything changed.

Jason died, & came back from the grave with a newfound vengeance. Barbara was in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down, & could hardly look at Richard anymore. Bruce had lost control of the team entirely. Richard had offered to bring Tim with him to Blüdhaven, but Tim decided to stay with Bruce & take care of him. Richard hated that it had come to that. The remainder of the team was taking care of him, & not the other way around. Bruce let the life in the suit get to him. He lost it. Richard promised himself he would never lose control like Bruce. He would never blur the lines between the right & the wrong.

That's where Rachel Roth came in. She & Richard had been through a lot together, & after so many years, he needed Rachel's help. He was worried that after what happened with the Titans, that she would turn her back on him. Richard could only wait & find out.

"Hey," said a voice from behind Richard.

Richard turned around & then smiled when he saw her. "Speak of the Devil," he muttered to himself.

A woman in a hoodie stood before him. The woman removed the hood off of her head to reveal a pale girl with dark hair with a hint of purple in the light of the moon. She smile softly. "Hey, Dick."

"I don't go by that, anymore," Richard said, "It's Richard, now."

"Hmm, ok, Richard," Rachel responded. "You'll always be a dick to me," she said jokingly.

Richard chuckled. He shook his head, grinning. "It's good to see you, Rachel."

"Same," Rachel said coldly. Richard didn't let it get to him, seeing as she was always that way. She began to approach Richard. "So why'd you call me out to Blüdhaven?"

Richard took a deep breath. "I need your help," he said. "Something happened."

Rachel arched her eyebrow. "Something happened?"

"Yeah," Richard said. "I...I don't know how to explain it. I really want you to check this out."

"Richard, what is it?" Rachel hissed.

"Cheyenne," Richard blurted out. Rachel stared at Richard, & he struggled to find the confidence to continue. "It's...I think she's alive."

Rachel kept quiet for a few moments. She opened her mouth to speak, but she only managed a soft croak. "Cheyenne?"

Richard nodded. "In my apartment. She was just there."

Rachel shook her head. "Don't play games with me, Circus Boy."

"Rachel, I would never joke about this. Never."

Rachel's eyes stared Richard down cold. "How dare you," she muttered.

Richard sighed. "Please, I don't know what to do. I need your help." After a few moments of silence, Richard made his way towards the fire escape on the rooftop, but he noticed Rachel not moving. He turned back to her. "Rachel," he said softly.

Rachel shook her head. "No," she said.

Richard scratched the back of his head, sort of expecting this reaction from Rachel. She continued. "No, I'm not going to help you. I came all the way down here to tell you no. Call it petty, but, I refuse to have anything to do with you. Not after what you did."

Richard shook his head. "Rachel, please, you know-"

"No, Richard, I don't know," Rachel spat. "I don't know how you thought it was okay to lie to us, to the entire team. It's not like Logan eating my ice cream behind my back. It's not like Victor sneaking out for a late night drive. None of that hurt. But when we woke up, & you were gone, that scared the living hell out of us."

Richard stepped towards Rachel, but she held a hand up, forcing Richard back into his spot with her telekinesis. "Finding out Slade had escaped, & that he found a protégé was nerve wrecking. Fighting him, & unveiling the Red X, then...discovering that it was you…that broke us, Dick. That broke our hearts."

Richard opened his mouth to speak, but Rachel forced his throat to shut, keeping him from speaking. "No, you don't get to explain yourself, because I never got a chance to explain what you did to us. You broke the team's trust in you. After Slade killed M'gann, Conner was already shattered. But seeing you with Slade, Conner saw the one man he trusted in the whole world, suddenly siding with the man who killed his beloved. You broke Logan's heart, because he looked up to you. Victor, he respected you. Kori loved you, despite all reasons not to, & you just about stomped all over that. And me...I hated you from the start. But I respected your heroics, & even more so, I respected your ability to keep the Titans united. You showed us how to be another family, & you made us happy."

Richard's eyes watered as Rachel shook her eyes, tears dripping from her face as well. "You went behind our backs & destroyed the team. And you didn't say a word about it." Rachel released her grasp over Richard, causing him to collapse to the ground, rubbing his neck. "I understand why you did it. For the sake of the mission, right? Bruce taught you that. But...you're not Bruce. You lied to us. You…" Rachel's voice trailed off, & she sat down on the ground, her breaths suddenly shaking. She began to cry heavily.

Richard rushed to Rachel's side & wrapped his arms around her. He brought her head to his shoulder & sighed. "I should have let you guys know I was going undercover. I know it was wrong. It got the job done, it avenged M'gann, but, I ruined what we had. I know. There's not a day I don't think about it. And I'm sorry. I'm...I'm sorry."

Rachel shook her head. "Richard, the Titans were all we had. You get that...right?"

Richard nodded. It was true. He really was the one who gave them a home, a real home, after finding them in Cadmus. Richard didn't like to think of it that way, but...he really did give them a second chance. Richard spoke again. "How...how is the rest of the Team?"

Rachel sighed, sitting up. She wiped her face with her hands, then looked up at Richard with her dark eyes. "Conner is studying in a university up in Metropolis, I think. Logan is crashing with Victor & one of his friends, Ronald."

Richard let out a deep breath, feeling comfort in knowing the boys were alright. "And Kori?"

"Staying with me in D.C.," she said sharply. "We're with this girl I know, Dawn."

Richard nodded. "Dawn," he said softly. He looked up at Rachel. "So...the Titans…"

"We're alive," she said softly. "For the most part. I've kept running tabs on us. Logan still calls me, though. He asks me to let him 'give me the night of my life.'"

Richard let out a soft laugh. He was pleased to hear that the Team hadn't abandoned each other. Not like the way Richard did to them. Richard let out a solemn sigh. "Rachel...I really am sorry."

Rachel looked up at Richard, staring into his eyes. For a moment, they didn't seem so dark. It looked as though she sincerely missed him too. At least, he hoped she did. He truly did care about the team. Rachel cleared her throat, looking away. "Cheyenne isn't alive," she muttered. "There's no way. I saw the beam collapse on her in the fire. Kori did too."

Richard shrugged. "I don't doubt that you did. But...I would recognize her anywhere. And it's her. She was just there when I came home tonight."

Rachel bit her lip for a moment, pondering Richard's claims. She sighed & looked up at Richard. "Show me."


	3. Chapter 3: Second Chance

**Chpt. III: Second Chance**

Richard watched as Rachel glanced around Richard's living room in awe. She made her way to the couch & pressed her hand down on the seat cushions, then nodded softly. She turned & glanced out of the glass door, leading out into the balcony. She stared outside for a few moments, then walked to the right, where she made her way to Richard's kitchen. Richard followed behind Rachel, where he saw her sticking her head inside of his fridge. She glanced around, then caught sight of the beer bottles on the door shelf. Rachel grabbed one, popping the bottle cap open, & took a soft sip.

Richard scoffed as Rachel walked passed him. "You could've just asked me for a drink," he said softly.

Rachel shook her head. "No," she grunted. "I think I'm entitled to your kitchen whenever, Dick." Richard shook his head. He really did miss Rachel's snarky attitude.

Rachel glanced around the apartment once more, then noticed the bedroom door slightly open. She stared at the door, then turned back to Richard. "Is she…?"

Richard nodded. "Yeah, she should be resting in bed right about now."

Rachel eyed Richard for a brief moment, then turned back to the bedroom door. She approached the door slowly & raised a fist up to the door. She softly knocked twice. "Hello?" she called.

There was a brief silence. "Dick?" called Cheyenne. "Is that you?"

Rachel gasped softly at the sound of Cheyenne's voice. Richard stepped beside Rachel. "Uh, yeah, Cheyenne. It's me. I brought a friend to come by & check you out."

"Oh," Cheyenne called. "Alright."

With that, Richard pushed his bedroom door open, letting Rachel in. Rachel slowly walked in, mouth open & eyes widened by the sight of Cheyenne Freemont sitting on Richard's bed. Rachel handed Richard her beer without ever taking her eyes off of Cheyenne. Cheyenne was watching TV as Rachel walked around the bed & sat beside her. "Hey, Cheyenne," Rachel said softly.

Cheyenne turned & looked right at Rachel. She looked at her for a moment, then gave her a faint smile. "Hi," Cheyenne said. She turned back to the TV & continued to watch her television program, not recognizing her. Richard could see the hurt in Rachel's eyes. She bit her lip & nodded, turning to Richard.

Richard cleared his throat. "Yeah, Cheyenne, this is Rachel Roth. She was with you years ago, back in Chinatown."

Cheyenne suddenly turned to Cheyenne & gasped softly. "Wait...Rachel…"

Rachel nodded. "Hey," she said softly, smiling through tears.

Cheyenne smiled faintly. "It's...it's you," she breathed. "I remember you."

Rachel thrusted herself onto Cheyenne, hugging her tightly. "I know, baby. I remember you too. I've missed you so much, Cheyenne."

Cheyenne hugged back, crying into her shoulders. Richard watched as the two old friends shared a moment together. It brought him a familiar nostalgic feeling, seeing the two of them together again. He thought back to his times with Cheyenne, back in the orphanage, & his times with Rachel, back when he was Robin. Things...felt right, all of a sudden.

Suddenly, Richard's brief happy thoughts were broken by Rachel pulling away from Cheyenne. "How...how did you survive the fire?" Rachel asked.

Cheyenne shook her head. "Richard has been asking me the same thing. I don't remember any of it. Just...flashes of you, Rachel. You, & Kori...I remember growing up with Dick, too."

Richard cleared his throat & glanced towards Rachel. "Cadmus, maybe? You think they did to her what they did to Jim Harper?"

Rachel arched an eyebrow. "Roy's brother? I don't know," she answered. "Maybe. But...I wouldn't be able to tell."

Richard nodded. He sighed deeply, then knelt down beside the bed. He leaned close to Rachel to speak. "Jason is also back."

Rachel stared at Richard. "Jason...Todd?"

Richard nodded. "He's been killing people. He dug himself out of his grave outside of Wayne Manor & started killing all across the coast." Richard shook his head. "He told me he went to Hell...I don't know if he meant it literally or not."

Rachel nodded. "Yeah, something has definitely changed in Hell," she said softly, "but that might not be what brought Cheyenne back."

Richard took note of the remark about Hell. Knowing Rachel's background, she may not be kidding. Richard bit his lip, then turned to Cheyenne. She was glancing between Rachel & him, totally confused. Richard sighed, then nodded back towards Rachel. "Can you find out what did bring her back?"

Rachel nodded softly. She turned to Cheyenne & reached for her hands. She flipped Cheyenne's hands over, revealing her palms. Rachel traced Cheyenne's hands, but as she did so, she traced symbols with her fingers on her palms Cheyenne stared in fascination as Rachel began to initiate a ritual. Richard wasn't sure exactly how it worked, but he wasn't a stranger to all forms of magic & mysticism. He met Zatanna, a teenage sorceress, & John Constantine, master of the Dark Arts. Constantine was sent by Nolan Drake to kill Cheyenne, & since then, Richard had never seen the British occultist. He hoped he never would again.

Rachel began to raise her hands slowly over Cheyenne's. As she brought her hands up, purple smoke appeared between Rachel & Cheyenne's hands, flowing upward into Rachel's hands. Rachel then inhaled, breathing in all of the smoke before her. As she breathed it all in, her eyes glowed purple for a brief second, then flashed back into her normal eyes within a blink. She licked her lips, then turned to Richard. "It's not supernatural."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Rachel sighed, glancing at Cheyenne, who stated at Rachel with the same fascination. "She must've not died at all, because her soul never entered Hell. In fact, she hasn't seen the afterlife at all."

Richard let out a frustrated breath. "So…"

Rachel shook her head. "Richard, it's her. She's really back. Maybe...maybe this isn't supernatural, but this certainly is a blessing. The universe is working in your favor. Be thankful."

Richard sighed. He nodded. Rachel was right. Maybe he was looking too into it. He should just accept the situation for what it was & be grateful for the outcome. Somehow, by some miracle, Richard's childhood love was back from the dead. Anyone would be happy to have this happen to them.

But if she wasn't dead, then what the hell DID happen to her after all these years?

It didn't make sense. Cheyenne mentioned her family being kind to her. Richard had met them. They were cruel & horrible. Why is it that Cheyenne remembered them differently? They called Cheyenne a monster. Cheyenne had to run away from them after the poltergeist incident.

Just then, Richard remembered that Cheyenne was a metahuman with telekinetic abilities. If she was really back, & this was real, then she would still have those abilities. He would need to have those abilities tested.

"Thanks, Rachel," Richard said. He smiled. "I think I know what to do now."

Rachel sighed, nodding. She stood up & turned back to Cheyenne, who had already began watching TV again. Rachel bit her lip. "Bye, Cheyenne. I'll try to come see you more."

Cheyenne turned to Rachel & smiled back. "Bye, Raven," she said softly.

Rachel gasped softly, then turned away. She made her way to the bedroom door & walked out quickly, before she could say anything. Richard rushed out & approached Rachel, who had begun to sob. "Dick...she called me by my name. No one knows about that...other than Constantine, & you & Roy, & Kori." Rachel wiped her face, then continued. "That night was the only night I used my name. She...she has to be real, Dick. That has to be Cheyenne."

Richard brought his arms out, letting Rachel sob into his chest. He rubbed her back & stared out into the living room window, looking out over the night sky. Richard sighed. He really hoped it was her. But he had to be sure. He needed to find out for sure.


	4. Chapter 4: One of Us

**Chpt. IV: One of Us**

Richard held Cheyenne's hand as the two walked up the steps of the monumental building known as the Hall of Justice. It was officially reopened to the public after the fall of the original Hall, along with the Justice Society of America. The Hall was redesigned as a museum, showcasing monuments dedicated to the original Justice Society members. However, what the public didn't know about was the elevator that teleported straight into an orbiting satellite above the Earth called the Watchtower. Richard was honestly a little nervous about returning again. Part of him didn't want to come back, but, he needed answers about Cheyenne. They would help.

Hopefully Bruce wasn't around.

The two entered the Hall & walked across the lobby, which was now furnished & full of the monuments & replicas of fallen heroes. Richard brought Cheyenne to the elevator & pressed the open command. As the doors slid open, Richard brought her in & waited for the doors to close shut. Richard pressed a combination of buttons on the number pad indicating each floor. The code revealed a slit within the wall of the elevator that opened up. Within that slit, a red light beamed out, scanning Richard. " _Recognize: Robin,"_ a robotic voice echoed within the elevator. " _Enacting passenger override."_

Cheyenne raised an eyebrow. "A talking elevator?"

Richard nodded. "Yeah, it used to be a little floating droid, but the League transferred the droid's software into the Hall & Watchtower's system. They didn't want to risk losing a perfectly good droid."

"Oh," Cheyenne said. "And…'passenger override'. Is that me?"

Richard nodded. "Well, yeah. You're not a League member, so I had to override the system."

Cheyenne sighed nervously. She scratched her head. "Is the League...nice?"

Richard scoffed, letting out a soft but sarcastic laugh. He glanced at Cheyenne, who looked away worryingly. Richard shook his head. "Don't worry, Cheyenne. It's really just the dark guy in the cowl that you need to worry about. Everyone else is just strange."

Cheyenne nodded. She began to glance around the elevator. She noticed something. "Dick, are we moving?"

Richard nodded. "Yeah, but they've upgraded the system. It's by boom tube, now." Cheyenne stared dumbfoundedly at Richard, who sighed. "It's a teleporter, basically."

Cheyenne's eyes grew wide as she nodded & stared out in front of her. She tightened her grip on Richard's hand, squeezing harder. Richard reached for her hand with his free hand & held them together. He brought her hands up to his lips & kissed them. "Cheyenne, it'll be okay."

Before she could respond, the red light within the elevator wall began to hum. " _Recognize: Robin,"_ the robotic voice said. Richard caught sight of Cheyenne's eyes lighting up at the familiar name. Richard & Cheyenne had shared an interest in robins during their time bonding in their childhood. The elevator doors opened wide to reveal a brightly lit hall.

"Whoa," Cheyenne said as Richard began to walk forward with Cheyenne by his side. He walked slowly, making sure that the atmospheric change wouldn't affect her, or that the bright white hall wouldn't hurt her vision. So far, she seemed calm enough.

The two walked through the threshold, revealing the wide, circular hub center of the Watchtower. At the center of this hub was a circular computer dashboard. Over to the sides were glass walls, revealing the scenery outside of the Watchtower satellite. The Earth & the Sun & the stars were all visible from where they stood.

"Wow," Cheyenne said, approaching the glass walls. As she stepped away from Richard, he walked over towards the center computer system. He pressed lightly on it, which activated a holographic home screen. It showed which League members were in the Watchtower. J'onn, Barry, & Clark were aboard. Bruce was too, though.

Richard cursed to himself as he heard doors slid open nearby. He glanced up to find a dark silhouette approaching Richard from a doorway on the far side of the Tower. His black cape flowed behind him as he stomped over to the dashboard. His cowl already had a displeased look in its design, but Richard could sense he was even more unhappy than his mask. "Richard," he grunted in his low, signature voice.

Richard nodded slowly at the Bat. "Hey, Bruce," he muttered.

Bruce stood beside Richard, looking down at the dashboard screen too. Richard could smell the alcohol on the man. Tim wasn't lying; his drinking had gotten worse. "I'm going to ask you nicely, Richard," he started. "Get the hell out."

"What happened to 'nicely?'" Richard asked, scoffing to himself.

Bruce's gloved fingers clenched tightly over the computer. Richard caught sight of the signs; he needed to be careful pissing off the Bat. "Richard," Bruce started, "you cannot just bring girls into the Watchtower when you like."

"Bruce, she needs help. She's Chey-"

"League members only," Bruce growled, cutting Richard off.

"Dammit, Bruce, you know damn well I'm not an official League member anymore. This is serious."

Bruce shook his head. "I didn't let you in. Security did, still registering you as Robin. If it were up to me, you'd be shot on the spot."

Richard glared at Bruce, trying to read his seriousness underneath the Bat cowl. It was pointless, though. In the Batsuit, Bruce never joked. He always meant every word that he said, no matter how cold. It was up until the reveal about him being the Batman came out that the lies stopped.

"Richard!" called out a familiar voice from the other end of the Tower. Richard turned to spot the gleaming smile wrapped in red & blue, wearing the big S on his chest.

Richard smiled back at Superman. "Clark," he called out. He walked over to the caped Kryptonian, brushing past Bruce, & embraced Clark in a brotherly hug. "How are you, man?"

Clark smiled. "Great as can be. How about yourself? You've been missed around here."

Richard shrugged. "Well, you know, things have gotten tough in Blüdhaven."

Clark nodded. "Yes, I've done my best to let the League give you clearance in Blüdhaven. For the most part, they were willing."

"All but the dark & brooding one, huh?" Richard remarked, nodding towards Bruce approaching the two.

Clark smiled softly, doing his best not to acknowledge the tension between Richard & the Batman. "The rest of the League felt as though you were capable of being assigned to your own city to patrol."

Richard smiled softly. "Damn straight," he said. The two exchanged awkward glances at Bruce, who stared angrily at Richard. He rolled his eyes at Bruce, then looked away.

Clark glanced over Bruce's shoulder, noticing the visitor. "Who's your friend, Richard?"

Richard sighed. "Her name is Cheyenne Freemont."

"Cheyenne?" Clark asked.

Richard nodded. "Yeah, the one that died, years ago in Gotham City Chinatown. But...somehow, she's alive. I checked to see if she had been brought back by some sort of mysticism, but she has no traces of magic. I was thinking...you could help."

Bruce shook his head. "She's a liability & poses a risk for the Tower. We don't know whether she contains abilities that could destroy this satellite, or she could easily hack into our servers."

"Bruce, the systems are near unhackable," Clark said. "Don't worry."

Bruce bit his lip, frustrated at Clark's inability to agree with him. "She can reveal our identities. She's not one of us. We can't have her up here."

Richard scoffed. "Bruce, I'm not asking your permission. I'm asking the Leader of the League."

Bruce glared at Richard, who was ignoring his gaze & focusing on Clark. Clark glanced awkwardly between the former partners & sighed in exasperation. "Richard, what is it you're expecting us to find?"

Richard bit his lip. "Cheyenne is a telepath. She was born with that metagene. I'm thinking that, in case she isn't who she says she is, you'd find something that will indicate WHAT she is. Maybe Cadmus created another clone, just like Jim Harper & Conner."

Clark nodded softly. "I understand. You have a point." Clark glanced over at Cheyenne & called out to her. "Sweetie? Can you come here for a second?"

Cheyenne walked over to the group & stood beside Richard. "Hi," she said shyly.

Clark smiled at her & gestured over to one of the doorways. "We're going to go ahead & talk to you for a few moments, if that's fine."

Cheyenne nodded. Clark led the group into another hall, which led to several rooms. As Richard walked alongside Cheyenne & Clark, he noticed the rooms filled with different computer setups, each which seemed more unique than the last. These seemed to be offices for some of the members. But why would each need their own private office setup in the Watchtower?

As the group moved forward, Bruce trailed behind. Richard could feel the death stare glaring through the back of his head. Bruce was definitely not happy with Richard. In all honestly, Richard didn't care. He was becoming more & more fed up & disappointed with Bruce. He had almost no respect for the man at this point.

Richard shook his head. This was the man who took him in, raised him, & trained him to become Robin. He owed Bruce a lot. With that thought, Richard scoffed. Bruce owed Richard just as much, if not more. The physical & mental abuse that Bruce made him & the boys endure was enough for him to stand up to Bruce & leave Gotham. He didn't regret that.

Finally, Clark stopped in front of a blank door. He reached for the door handle & pulled it open, revealing a brightly lit room. Inside was just a long white table with two chairs at both ends of the table. It looked like the interrogation room in the Gotham City Police Department, only...less dark. Richard sighed, turning to Cheyenne. She looked nervous.

"It's okay, Cheyenne," Clark assured her. "We're just going to talk."

Cheyenne turned to Richard, who rubbed her arm softly. "You can trust him. He's going to help you."

Cheyenne bit her lip, & nodded. Before stepping into the room, she hugged Richard tight. He rubbed his hands up & down her back, then released her. She sighed, stepping inside of the room with Clark, who shut the door behind him.

"Come on," Bruce grunted, walking away from the door. He moved so fast that he seemed to glide in his movement. Richard had to step fast to keep up with the Bat.

The two went down to the left of the hall, which circled around the room that Clark & Cheyenne were sitting in. Richard found himself standing in front of a window, revealing the room from the outside. It was exactly like an interrogation room.

"Where did you find her?" Bruce asked as he watched Clark & Cheyenne take their seats inside.

Richard glanced at Bruce, then turned to face the window. "She was just in my apartment last night."

Bruce nodded. "After you came home from Star City, right?"

Richard shook his head. "No, after Star City, I went straight to Gotham, remember?" Bruce stared ahead, not giving any indication of whether he truly remembered Richard visiting or not. Richard sighed. "I dropped Tim back off at the manor, & then I stopped by your office to let you know about Queen's recommendation to invest in Kord Industries."

Bruce nodded. "Right."

Richard cleared his throat, glancing back at the window. The two were sharing the conversation still, but for some reason, there was no audio. Why was there no audio? Richard shook the thought from his head. "So, speaking of Kord," Richard started, "have you looked into Jaime Reyes's scarab?"

"Yes," Bruce said. "His claims weren't substantial."

"How?" Richard scoffed, raising an eyebrow.

"The Beetle is a creation of Kord's. There's nothing to indicate that it's actually of alien origin. Nothing about the beetle proved to have any indication as to whether Earth would really be invaded or not."

Richard bit his lip, trying so hard not to burst out into rage. The Beetle had specifically mentioned Richard, & it was very much sentient. How was there nothing about the beetle that indicated it being of alien origin? Did Bruce really have that much of a grudge against Richard that he would toss out any validity in cases that he brought to the Tower?

Richard sighed. He glanced around the window. The fact that Richard couldn't hear Clark & Cheyenne bothered him a lot. Suddenly, as if on cue, someone appeared behind Richard. He turned around to find a tall, bald, green man standing behind him & Bruce.

"Hello, Manhunter," Bruce said, nodding towards the Martian.

J'onn J'onzz nodded back. "Greetings, Batman." He turned to Richard. "Hello, Robin," he said sternly.

Richard smiled faintly. "Hey, J'onn." Richard was nervous around the Martian. He wasn't sure if his cold greeting was standard for just about everyone, or if he was specifically being cold to Richard. After all, it was his fault that M'gann had perished at the hands of Slade Wilson. He had brought her into the field before she had fully recuperated from one of her telepathic attacks, & it left her vulnerable. That was the start of the collapse of the Titans, & Richard felt the weight of it all on his shoulders whenever he encountered just about anyone.

J'onn turned to the window. "I see we have a guest."

"Yes," Bruce answered. "Richard brought in a suspect he believes to be a clone from Cadmus & he wants us to investigate."

J'onn nodded softly. "I see." He turned to Richard, as his blank, pupiless eyes stared at him. "I suppose it would be beneficial for me to psychically link myself to her & investigate myself?"

"Uh," Richard stammered, "I really dunno. Wouldn't she...have to be aware that it's happening?"

J'onn nodded. "Yes, she would." Before Richard could speak, his eyes began to glow red. Within the room, Richard could see Cheyenne's intent stare at Clark fade into a dead gaze into nothingness. Richard felt his fists clench together. The Martian had already began to invade her mind.

"Richard," Bruce said suddenly. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

Richard arched his eyebrow at Bruce, forcing himself to pull his glance away from Cheyenne. "What?"

Bruce glanced between the preoccupied Martian & the interrogation occurring within the room. He then took a deep breath before speaking. "Back in Star City...there was a vigilante, am I right?"

Richard felt his heart skip a beat. He wanted to steer clear of what he thought Bruce was going to ask. "You mean the Green Arrow?" he mentioned casually. "Yeah, he's there."

Bruce eyed Richard underneath his cowl for a moment. Richard could spot the distrust in his eyes. Bruce nodded slowly. "Yeah, the Green Arrow," he said softly. "I assume you conducted your own investigation on him while in Star City."

Richard shrugged. "I mean, yeah. How could I resist? I felt an obligation to, after the disappearance of Arsenal. I felt like I should meet the man who trained him, & meet the man he sacrificed his life for."

Bruce nodded. "Of course, I understand." He stared into the window. "You also encountered the Red Hood, right?"

Richard's felt his entire body grow numb in fear. How the hell did Bruce know about the Red Hood? Bruce continued. "There were reports of sightings of a man in a red helmet in Gotham for a while. Apparently he was some sort of...vengeful vigilante, murdering thugs & criminals. I did my own investigation, you know. I traced his activity all the way to Star City. Surely...you noticed his work too, right? I mean, I know I trained you well enough to compile evidence of murders like that, right?"

Richard felt his jaw clench. The Batman turned to Richard, stepping passed the Martian. "I'm sure you have seen him. Pretty sure you & Tim might have encountered this...killer. Because that's what he is, Richard. He's a killer. He's wearing my mark & framing me for murder. I know damn well that you & Tim aren't incompetent enough to let a guy like that slip out of your fingertips, right?"

Richard glared intensely at the Bat. He no longer saw the man who raised him. He saw the urban legend that was manifested into body armor that taunted Richard for months before revealing his identity to him. He saw the vigilante that degraded Richard & made him feel less than capable. He despised that guy. "Back the hell away, Bruce," Richard growled.

The two stared at one another for a few moments before Bruce stepped back a few steps. Richard felt himself relax. He didn't realize he was holding his breath.

Suddenly, J'onn J'onzz broke from his trance & turned to Richard. "This girl is not a clone," he said.

Richard turned to the window to look at Cheyenne. She was suddenly smiling, having a seemingly casual conversation with Clark again. Richard turned back to J'onn. "She...are you sure?"

J'onn nodded. "Yes. She is merely just a metahuman who shares telepathic abilities, similar to my own. She, however, is not an alien. Everything about her seems fairly normal, for our standards."

Richard let out a deep breath. Bruce shook his head. "She still needs to be examined for her abilities."

J'onn nodded. "You're right, Batman." He turned back to Richard with a slightly concerned look. "I did notice something peculiar about Cheyenne. Her memories seem to be scattered. She seems to have remnants of memories of people & places, but these memories are constantly shifting & changing."

Before Richard could react, he felt another presence behind him. Richard turned around to find a bright red suited man grinning at J'onn. "Fascinating," Barry Allen spat out. "Shifting & changing constantly, huh? That's a doozy."

Richard sighed. "Hey, Flash," he said softly.

The Flash smiled. "Sup, dude." He glanced at Richard, then gave him a double take, as if not recognizing him. "Whoa, Robin? Is that YOU? Wow dude, you've really grown up!"

Richard nodded. "Yeah, man, it's been a while." He turned back to J'onn, hoping to cut off Barry from the conversation. "So, J'onn, do you think the shift in her memories might have something to do with her suddenly...not dying?"

J'onn shook his head. "I do not know for certain. This is certainly a strange anomaly, Robin. I really am not sure what the cause is."

"Wait," Barry suddenly called out. "What's the story again?"

Richard sighed, turning back to the Flash. He nodded towards the window. "My friend, Cheyenne, suddenly showed up on my doorstep for the first time in almost five years. She died in a fire, but somehow, she's alive. I thought it was because of some mystical cause, but it wasn't. We just determined that she isn't a clone, either. It's her, somehow...back from the dead."

Barry nodded, glancing towards the window. He stared at the girl for a few moments, then back to Richard. "Back from the dead, huh?" he said. He bit his lip, then looked away.

Richard eyed the Flash, confused as to what his sudden interest in Cheyenne was. Did he know something? Richard turned to J'onn. "So, until we figure out what brought her back, what should we do?"

"It is like Batman said," J'onn explained. "We must keep her here to run tests & monitor her abilities."

Richard glanced behind J'onn's shoulder, glaring at the Batman. "Sure, that's a good idea," Richard snarled.

"It is," Bruce said. "It's the most practical thing to do in this situation. We don't know what level of strength this girl's telepathy is. She could pose as a threat."

J'onn nodded in agreement. "I would like to help her control her abilities. With the untimely death of my niece, I am currently the only one with enough experience in telepathy."

Richard nodded slowly. He bit his lip. M'gann was the best telepath the League had. In fact, she was better than J'onn at times. They truly lost a valuable comrade. Richard sighed in shame. He wish things had turned out differently.

Just then, Clark & Cheyenne stood up inside of the interrogation room, having finished their session. They exited the room, beginning to walk around the hall. Richard glanced behind him, & noticed Barry quickly speeding off into the hall. Richard arched his eyebrow. What was making him so nervous all of a sudden?

Clark & Cheyenne emerged around the corner, where Bruce stepped aside for Cheyenne to hug Richard. He held her for a moment as Clark nodded to Richard for reassurance, to indicate that everything was fine. Richard really did feel better knowing that Cheyenne was not a clone. However, there were things that still didn't add up. He needed to pinpoint why it was that Cheyenne's memories were changing.

Clark led the group out of the hall, back into the central command center of the Watchtower. Richard followed behind Clark, with Cheyenne by his side. Behind them were Bruce & J'onn. The five of them came out to find the Flash, zipping around the computer module. He was rapidly typing on the dashboard, completely immersed in whatever work he had begun. After a few moments, he glanced up & gasped. "Oh, hey guys," he greeted awkwardly. "What's going on?"

Bruce stepped forward. "Flash, I need you to prepare the augmented reality simulator. J'onn & Cheyenne will be running drills shortly."

"Oh, uh, sure, alright," Flash began to stutter. "Are you SURE that's the best option, though?"

"Yes," Bruce spat back. "Don't argue with me."

The Flash nodded frantically. "No, of course not!" Barry glanced awkwardly at Cheyenne, then back at Bruce. "I, uh, have to run. Let me know if you need me again."

Before anyone could object, Barry zoomed out of the Watchtower, exiting in a red streak of nothingness. Richard felt his gut turn. The speedster knew something. He was definitely acting strange. Stranger than normally.

Bruce sighed. "I guess I'll prepare the simulator," he grunted. He stomped away, leaving the command center without giving Richard a second look. Richard rolled his eyes. He didn't care.

Cheyenne turned to Richard. "So...I have to stay here?" she asked worryingly.

"Only for a little bit," Richard answered. "You won't be here long, I promise."

Cheyenne smiled. "Okay, Dick," she said before hugging Richard.

Richard held Cheyenne tightly, glancing towards the exit. Richard didn't feel good about any of this. Something was definitely off. Cheyenne's appearance after all these years was strange enough, but, Barry's sudden shift in attitude struck Richard as odd...more odd than he normally was. He needed to find the Flash again. He needed answers.


	5. Chapter 5: Follow the North Star

**Chpt. V: Follow the North Star**

Richard rested his feet over his couch's armrest & laid his laptop on his lap. He stretched his neck over a few throw pillows he pushed towards the end of the couch & shifted his body, trying to get comfortable. It felt like it had been forever since he last laid on his couch in comfort, but, he knew damn well that he couldn't afford to rest easily, with all that was going on. Richard sighed. He glanced back towards where the bedroom was. He hoped Cheyenne would be alright in the Watchtower.

Richard shook the lingering thoughts from his head & turned to his laptop. He woke the screen up & opened up his internet browser. After a moment, before he did anything else, he groaned, then sat up from the couch. He held the laptop in his hand, then walked over to the glass doors & slid one open. He walked out onto the balcony & sat on a small futon that was folded into a couch. He brought the futon closer towards the railing, sat on the futon, & lifted his legs high up with ease. He stretched his long legs over to the railing & rested them there. Richard grinned. It was a better position.

Richard began to type away at his keyboard, researching all that he could find about the speedster. When searching up Barry Allen, Richard found several news articles from decades ago that covered the tragedy of his mother's death, along with his father's incarceration. The boy had witnessed his own mother's death that night.

Richard gasped softly. He had no idea the chuckling, goofy guy had gone through that.

Richard read on, seeing articles about the Central City Police Department's efforts to fight off metahumans with Star Labs technology. It listed several encounters that the CCPD had with metahumans & criminals with abilities & tech that proved to be superior to the police force's. Richard caught sight of a picture of the CCPD's officers, all lined up for a group photo. Towards the center left, Richard noticed a skinny young man standing next to an older black man. The young man looked roughly Richard's age, but, he could've sworn he had seen him somewhere before.

Richard glanced towards the bottom of the picture. It had a listing of the names of the police officers that were photographed. One of them was Barry Allen.

Richard surveyed the photo one last time before confirming that the younger man must have been Barry. For some reason, the man seemed...smaller. He had a smaller body frame. He was skinnier, & he looked a lot younger than when Richard saw him the few times in the Watchtower. Perhaps this photo was an old one. Richard quickly shook his head, dismissing the suggestion, after spotting the date the photo was taken. It was a taken less than a year ago.

Richard sighed in frustration. He found Barry Allen. At least, he found a Barry Allen living in Central City...working with the police. It was a start, right?

Richard reached for his phone & dialed the CCPD's precinct's number listed in the article. He hummed to himself as the call rang, going through to Central City. After a few moments, there was an answer.

" _CCPD, Captain Singh speaking,"_ spat a fast-talking man with a clear Jersey accent.

Richard cleared his throat. "Hello, this is Mr. Grayson. I was hoping you could put me through to Mr. Allen?"

" _Mr. Allen?"_ the captain scoffed. " _Hold on a sec."_ He then set the phone down for a moment. Richard could hear him rustle the phone against something, possibly his chest. " _Hey, Joe!"_ called the captain from his end of the phonecall. " _Where's Barry?"_

After a few moments, the phone was picked back up, but someone else with a deeper voice spoke. " _This is Detective Joe West. Barry is out right now on a case, but, I can take a message for you."_

Richard bit his lip. He glanced at the article's photograph & caught sight of the man standing next to Barry. Listed next to Barry's name was a Joe West. Richard tried to place the voice with the face, then spoke. "That's okay, Detective West, thank you though. I was hoping you could leave his number with me, that way I could try & reach him personally."

The detective was silent for a few minutes. " _Who is this, again?"_

Richard's mind ran at a fast pace to come up with a quick cover. "Uh, Detective Grayson, sir, of the Blüdhaven Police Department. I'm currently working on a case that may involve the death of a metahuman, & I'm not really sure how to go about this. My superiors recommended that I talk to a Mr. Barry Allen of the Central City Police force. I hear he's a bit of a genius up there."

Detective West chuckled softly. " _Alright, I suppose."_ The detective proceeded to giving Richard Allen's cell phone number. " _He may be busy right now, seeing as it's after hours, but you can try to reach him."_

Richard nodded. "Of course. Thank you so much, Detective."

With that, Richard hung up & set his phone aside. Richard glanced down at his laptop & smiled. Rather than saving the phone number into his own cell, Richard searched for Barry's cell phone on a program on his computer that was able to trace generally most pieces of technology. Within a few minutes, he would see exactly where Barry was at all times. Or, at least, where his phone would be.

Richard sighed, observing the computer program scanning GPS's all across the coast. It was really state of the art. He was truly thankful to have Harper Row design it for him. Richard thought about Harper for a moment, & about her younger brother, Cullen. He often thought about whether Cullen was alright after all these years. Richard sighed. He ought to give them a call soon.

Suddenly, Richard's computer began beeping. The program traced Barry's phone in Central City, all the way up north, in a vast open area by the coast. Richard arched his eyebrow. He squinted, reading the address, then searched the address on his web browser. The address came up as the street where Star Labs was. In fact, this was the same Star Labs facility where the particle accelerator exploded, causing the outbreak of the metahumans in 2014. Richard smirked to himself. This was definitely the right place.

Richard shut his laptop, grabbed his cell, & stood up from his seat. He walked into his apartment & sighed. He was going on a trip to Central City.


	6. Chapter 6: Not Our World

**Chpt. VI: Not Our World**

Richard glanced out of his car window & set his gear into parking. He sighed as he rested his elbow out onto the window & studied the exterior of the Star Labs building. There was a large, gaping hole that was blown open from the far left side, towards the roof. The rest of it was shaped like a circular dome. It definitely seemed like there was some sort of scientific error that occurred within the building, seeing as the building was virtually abandoned. However, Richard did spot two cars parked in the parking lot. Richard took a deep breath. He really wanted this lead to pan out. He needed to find the Flash, & he drove all night to get here.

Richard opened his car door & shut it behind him. He walked all the way across the parking lot, which took him a few minutes, & walked up to the front door. He glanced around, expecting some sort of tape wrapping the doors, warding off different trespassers. Richard tried his luck at the doors, & found that the doors were unlocked. Richard shook his head. Anyone could waltz in as they pleased.

Richard grinned & found an open space at the front of the building. It clearly used to be some sort of a lobby, considering that this scientific research facility was, at some point, open & functional. Richard made his way towards the back of the lobby, finding a long hallway. Richard bit his lip nervously, but walked down the hall anyway. Richard continued walking down the long, extensive hallway, & found that the hall was circling around something. The building was circular, so this architectural design made sense. However, Richard didn't expect it to go out so far into the building.

Eventually, Richard began to hear echoes. He suspected that he was reaching the hall's end, & began to walk forward cautiously. Richard reached into his back pocket & felt the small rod he had in it. It was the same design of Roy Harper's bow, but Richard's extended into a long nightstick. It didn't contain any electrical capabilities, but he didn't expect to stun anything in Central City.

The closer Richard got to the end of the hall, more he realized that the echoes he had been hearing were soft voices speaking to one another. Richard took a deep breath & braced himself for whatever he would find.

Richard glanced over the corner to spot a large open space with a large desk in the middle. Richard arched his eyebrow, noticing a long haired hispanic man sitting next to a pale brunette. Both were speaking into some sort of interface within the desk's computer dashboard. They were calling out directions, but finally, they grew a little silent.

"Nice work, Barry," the brunette girl said into a microphone with a faint smile.

The long haired guy rolled his eyes, then glanced over to the brunette. "Wanna get coffee in a little bit?" he asked softly.

The brunette sighed, faintly smiling at the man. "Sure, Cisco. Let's just wait till Barry gets back."

The long haired man groaned & shook his head. "Caitlin, could we just, like, not bring him for once? He's more than capable of running the Cortex on his own."

Before Caitlin could even open her mouth to speak, a red streak zipped passed Richard, entering the large room. The streak formed into a skinny man in a red suit with a white emblem on his chest. Over the white emblem was a large, yellow lightning bolt.

"Hey, guys," the red suited man said, smiling under his mask.

Cisco diverted his eyes away from their red friend. Caitlin sighed. "Barry," she said, "You did good this morning, but, I think Cisco & I need a quick break. You don't mind watching things while we're gone, right?"

After a quick moment, the red suited man zipped out, then back into the room again. This time, the skinny man was wearing a flannel & jeans. His brown hair stood up towards the front of his head. He smiled softly. "Yeah, sure Caitlin. It's alright."

Just as Cisco & Caitlin stood up from their desk, Richard revealed himself from around the corner of the hall. He began to walk into the large room, approaching the group. "Flash?" he called out.

The group spun around to face Richard. "Whoa!" Cisco gasped. "I think you've got the wrong guy. He's not-"

"Barry," Richard said softly. Richard felt a strange feeling in his gut. Something was very, very off. "Barry...Allen…"

Caitlin sighed. "Why do we keep letting crazies walk in here?"

"Flash?" Richard threw out once more, hoping he found the right man.

Barry arched his eyebrow, leaning towards Richard. "Hold on," he said. "Do I know you?"

Richard shrugged. "Dude, it's me. Richard. Richard Grayson." Richard continued to walk towards Barry slowly, but the man didn't step back. The two behind the desk, however, grew nervous & cautious. Barry's face stared at Richard blankly. "I...I used to be Robin," Richard said softly.

"Robin?" Barry repeated confusedly. "I...I'm sorry, I don't think we've ever met."

Richard scoffed. "Come on, we've met at the Watchtower dozens of times. You were there when I was inducted into the Justice League, with Raven & Starfire. Changeling & Cyborg were there. Zatanna was there…"

"Watchtower?" Cisco called out. "Justice League?"

Caitlin stepped towards Barry. "Barry, you should be careful. The things he's saying...it may be-"

"It's okay, Caitlin," Barry said, glancing over at her. "I think it's okay."

Richard turned away from Barry, noticing a large mannequin inside of the wall. Over the mannequin was the suit that Barry wore moments ago. It was clearly the Flash suit, but...it wasn't. It was leather, & the stitching was entirely different. On top of that, it looked smaller.

Richard glanced back at Barry. "You shrunk," Richard muttered.

Barry shook his head. "No, I don't think I have."

Richard felt his chest grow tight. He was lost beyond comprehension. "Flash...you did something. You did something, man. Something is wrong here. Tell me why you suddenly lost at least 20 pounds of muscle mass, & tell me why you downgraded your suit. Tell me why suddenly, you can't seem to remember me. Tell me why everyone is suddenly changing, & people are coming back, & some are coming back with different memories."

"Wait, what?" Barry said.

Richard stepped closer to Barry, feeling his frustration grow more intense. "You saw Cheyenne yesterday, & you knew something. As soon as you laid eyes on her, you knew something was wrong. She wasn't a clone, & she wasn't resurrected. She was dead for years, & suddenly, it was as though she never died, & YOU knew something. I saw you run out of there, faster than I've ever seen you run. What the hell did you do, Flash?"

The group was suddenly quiet. Cisco & Caitlin each looked back at Barry with uncertainty. Barry bit his lip, then turned to Caitlin & Cisco. He sighed, rubbing his eyes with his fingers, then turned to Richard. "I'm...I'm sorry, Richard, but none of that was me."

Cisco raised his hand awkwardly. "Excuse me," he started. "Um...you mentioned the...Justice League. Is the Green Arrow a member?"

Richard shook his head. "No, we've been trying to get him," he admitted. "But we haven't been able to. Barry's a member, though."

Barry scoffed. "What?"

Richard felt his annoyance grow even more. "Yes, Flash, you are. Batman & Superman inducted you themselves."

"Batman?" Caitlin called out. Clearly, this group was out of the loop in what occurred outside of these walls.

"Wait," Barry said, holding his hands up defensively. He turned back to Richard. "Did you say...Superman?" Richard nodded, causing Barry to let out a shocked gasp. "You...you know Superman?"

Richard arched his eyebrows. "Know him? I've been in his apartment."

Barry raised his hands over to his mouth, suddenly having a moment of panic of his own. Cisco & Caitlin glanced at Barry with confusion. He shook his head. "This can't be."

"Barry, what the hell is going on?" Cisco asked with a tone of frustration as well.

Barry let out a deep breath. He rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand, then began to explain. "Last year, when we were up against Zoom, I...I was testing out my speed, trying to run faster, but instead, I accidentally traveled to another Earth. This Earth...it had a superhero. She was an alien. Her name was Supergirl." Barry glanced at Richard. "Her cousin was this...Superman."

Caitlin & Cisco both turned to Richard, who stood there, just as confused. "Yeah," Richard started, "Superman. Kryptonian, wears glasses on his spare time, rocks red & blue when he's up in the sky."

Barry shook his head. He sighed, then nodded to Richard. "Hey man, come here," he said as he stomped over to a clear board on wheels. Richard approached the board as Barry grabbed a marker & began drawing circles on it. "You...you aren't from our world, Richard. You're from another parallel universe."

"What?" Richard asked. "How...what?"

Barry sighed once more. He pointed at one circle. "Okay, this is my Earth. We call it Earth-1. It's one of many different versions of Earth that exists within a certain plane of existence. Each vibrates at a different frequency, taking up the same space, but leaving us unable to see the different Earths." Richard stared blankly at Barry, leaving Barry to continue. "These other Earths have...different variations. One is mine, with the Green Arrow in Star City, & I'm here, in Central City. There's another Earth where everyone who is a hero is a villain, & all bad guys are heroes. There's 52 different variations in total. One of these is an Earth where Kryptonians live, & they serve as superheroes."

Barry set the marker down & brought his hand up to his chest. "My superspeed allows me to run fast enough to travel to different versions of this multiverse through interdimensional breaches. That's how I came across the Earth with Supergirl. If you came from the Earth with Superman, & a Justice League...you must not be from our world. Somehow, you must've been transported over here. There might have even been a breach that somehow merged two Earths together."

Richard shook his head, struggling to wrap his head around this. He was trying to fully understand, but couldn't. Parallel Earths? Multiverse? He hadn't done any of that. "I...I haven't come from another universe. I came from Blüdhaven. It was a long drive." Richard took a deep breath, trying not to feel his anger overflow within him. "I am not going to listen to this anymore. Just tell me what the hell happened to Cheyenne."

Barry sighed. "Okay, um, sure." He glanced over at Caitlin & Cisco, who both shot him a confused glance. Barry cleared his throat. "When I was a child, my mother was murdered. Three months ago, I ran back in time to stop her murder from ever happening. By doing so, I altered history, creating another reality. We're calling it Flashpoint. Flashpoint was good. My parents were both alive, but, in doing so, things began to change. Time was trying to fix itself. So...I had to let my mother die to restore the timeline. When I came back, things weren't exactly the same. Things were still different. Time was still altered slightly."

Richard stared at Barry, letting the words sink in. He...he apparently could run fast enough to transport to other dimensions. So...running fast enough to travel through time wasn't out of the ordinary, right? Richard pressed his fingers up to his forehead. What the hell was happening?

"It's okay, man," Cisco called out to Richard from behind the table. "I get that it's a lot to take in. I mean, after all, before Barry changed anything, my brother was alive & well. He was an ass, but, he was alive. Now he's dead, & he can't go back & bring him to life. But, hell, he did it with his parents. Now he apparently did it with this Cheyenne girl you're talking about. So, good for you."

Richard glanced over at Cisco & caught his sarcastic tone. He wanted to punch the kid in the face, but, at the same time...he had a point. This girl had been brought back from the dead. Richard wanted to be grateful for it. But...why didn't he feel good about it?

Richard scoffed just as two more people walked in. Two black people, a pretty woman walking alongside a somewhat younger boy, walked behind the desk, towards Cisco & Caitlin. They glanced confusedly. Richard disregarded them & turned to Barry. "So...I'm sorry man, but let me get this straight. You're telling me that...your superspeed...created an alternate reality. One where my friend is back from the grave, hell bent on revenge, & another is back from the dead, but has a totally different recollection of her memories. And...somehow, I'm supposed to act like this is okay? Like this is natural?"

Barry opened his mouth to speak, but Richard cut him off. "I mean, man, I've seen a hell of a lot of things in my day. I've met aliens, both of royalty & your average Kryptonians & Martians. I've seen people conjure up demons & witches seep into my mind. I've seen guys fly & carry an insane amount of weight on their shoulders. I've seen the most bizarre, the most inhumane scientific experiments create the most astonishing people. But I've also seen what normal people can become. I've seen monsters, both from your nightmares & from your neighborhood. The world is a crazy thing, & I've grown to accept that this is where I live. But if you even have the gall to defend yourself when it comes to time travel & creating alternate timelines & merging another parallel universe, then something is wrong with you."

"Hey, cool it." the younger boy called out to Richard, clearly wanting to step in & defend Barry.

Richard turned to the boy & arched his eyebrow. "Hey, pipe it, kid. I'm not talking to you."

"Don't talk to Wally like that," Barry said, almost threateningly. "Just calm down.

Richard shot a glare right back at Barry & shoved him, pushing him to the ground. "Don't you DARE tell me to calm down. What gives YOU the right, huh?" Suddenly, Richard felt the younger boy approach him from behind. As he raised a fist at Richard, Richard easily reversed the blow & countered his attack, disarming the boy. He shoved him aside & turned back to Barry. "Who gave you the right to bring back your mom & dad, huh? I mean, hell, I'm sure each & every single one of us in this room right now has lost somebody at some point, right?" Richard glanced at the bystanders, who stood by, not helping Barry up. Richard nodded at Cisco. "This guy said his brother died. I'm sure one of us has probably lost a loved one. Maybe a fiancé. And we may have even lost a parent, just like you."

Richard watched as Barry stood up on his own, slowly. "I'd give the world to bring back the people we lost. I think these people wouldn't do that? We would. But, see, Flash, the thing is, you did. You did it yourself, selfishly, without considering anyone else. So I ask you again, Barry Allen, who the hell gave YOU the right to change time on your own account?"

"Listen, man-"

Before Barry could finish his statement, Richard swung his right arm around, connecting his tight fist into Barry's jaw. Barry staggered back, clutching his bleeding mouth. Richard felt a hand reach his shoulder, & he turned to spot the Wally kid raise his fist for a punch. Before he could hit him, Richard deflected the punch, pushing the boy back once more. Richard turned to Barry & felt his fists clench tight & his blood boil. His chest heaved heavily as his face grew numb.

He wanted to kill Barry. He was never this angry at anyone before. Tony Zucco was a mobster who killed his parents. Nolan Drake was the madman who wanted to take over Gotham. Both were equally as despicable, but, for someone with the power that the Flash had, to go & abuse it in the way that he did...it stood against everything Richard believed in. He couldn't just let this slide.

Richard felt the eyes of everyone burning into the back of his skull. Everyone was anticipating, waiting for his next move. What would Richard Grayson do to the Flash?

Richard let out a loud, frustrated roar that bellowed & echoed around the Cortex. Richard felt himself lose breath & feel defeated. He felt lost. He felt powerless. He needed a moment. Richard began to stomp away, exiting the Cortex, making his way into the hallway. He wanted to leave, as fast as he could. He needed to leave.

While he walked, he heard footsteps behind him. They echoed behind him, but Richard almost didn't notice. Before he could reach the end of the hall, a woman's voice called out from behind him. "Hey, slow down."

Richard stopped in his tracks. He turned around to find the pretty black woman approach him. He sighed as he noticed her eyes glaring at Richard. In one long stride, she stepped up to Richard & raised her open palm, slapping him across the face. Richard felt his cheek burn. He rubbed his face with his hand. He saw the slap coming. He just didn't feel the need to avoid it. He probably deserved that.

The woman raised a finger at Richard. "Don't you ever touch my boyfriend OR my brother again."

Richard sighed, staring back at the woman. He felt dead & empty, not knowing how to feel. This woman slapped hard, though.

The woman's glare up at Richard turned to something calm & soft, & suddenly he saw the sweet woman that anyone could easily admire. "I'm sorry," she started. "Maybe that was a little uncalled for." Richard nodded, staring blankly at her. She cleared her throat. "I'm Iris," she said softly. Richard didn't respond. Iris spoke again. "I...I think I understand why you're upset."

Richard bit his lip. "I'm not sure you do."

Iris shook her head. "No, I do. Getting used to this...this weird stuff isn't easy. Barry's speed was just part of it, but the existence of the multiverse really got me. Then...then I found out that he went back in time to do what he did. He...he erased our relationship from existence. He chose his parents over me. I...I can't think that selfishly, but, it's a thought that came across my mind. But then I thought about losing my mother this year. I just found out she was still alive, only to meet her on her deathbed. She died so soon, & I wish I could go back & spend more time with her. But...you're right. We can't do that. We can't bring back the ones we lost, but Barry did."

Richard stared back into her eyes. He knew she was coming from sincerity. He could tell she was a little hurt, but, she really did see where Richard was coming from. He sighed. "I lost both of my parents. In fact, I lost them both when I was a child, just like him. I avenged their deaths, but, it wasn't enough. It...left me empty. So yeah, maybe spending months in an alternate reality with them would be nice, but, we don't have that luxury. We don't all get to play God. It's not right, & it's not fair. I'd give the world to bring back them back. But…" Richard's shaky voice trailed off.

"Barry did," Iris said. "He did. He literally gave his world for his parents. He gave everything for them, & if we were in his position, we probably would too. It doesn't make him God. It only makes him human, just like the rest of us."

Richard nodded, letting the words sink in. He ran a hand over his face, feeling himself wanting to cry. He really wish he could make things different. He wish he could see his parents one more time, alive, & have them see the man that he had become. But they never would. That's what broke his heart the most. Bringing back Cheyenne & Jason was a blessing, but...it wasn't right.

Richard didn't realize he was crying when Iris embraced him in a hug. He rested his head on her shoulder, despite him being taller than her. She let him cry on her shoulder, & Richard finally realized how broken he had really been all these years.


	7. Chapter 7: Changes

**Chpt. VII: Changes**

Richard's drive out to Coast City was rather sudden, but he needed it. It was something he needed in order to clear his head. He felt lost, like he had lost control of everything. He felt powerless & helpless. He didn't know what to do. He needed a familiar face.

Richard parked his car outside of the apartment building in Coast City & stepped out of his glanced around the city, feeling somewhat uneasy. The entire city seemed...brighter. It seemed calmer & more at peace. Something about this city radiated comfort, & Richard knew the city was probably safe more the most part. But it didn't feel right. Richard wasn't used to this.

Richard walked up to the front doors of the apartment & glanced at the interior of the apartment's lobby. There was a wall with slots of mailboxes for the tenants living within the building. Richard scanned the wall, reading each one, searching for the name that started with H. He found Habberton, Hader, Hamm, Harper. Richard glanced once more. Harper, Roy. Richard nodded. It was apartment number 73. Richard walked up to the elevator, making his way inside. He pressed the 7th floor button, riding the elevator up the old building. Once he reached the 7th floor, he felt the elevator jolt to a stop, slowly opening its doors. Richard walked out, glancing each end of the hall, searching for where the apartment may be.

Richard tried his luck with the left, walking down the end towards the window revealing the sun's light casting shadows over the hall's carpeted floor. Richard glanced to his right to find room 73. Richard smiled softly. He raised a fist to the door & knocked three times. He waited for a response.

After a few moments, the door opened to a familiar man, somewhat older than Richard, with short brown hair & a chiseled chin. He was clean shaven & his blue eyes stared...blankly at Richard. He didn't notice the odd look that he was being given by the man.

"Roy," he said with a smile.

Roy glanced at Richard, eyeing him up & down. "Uh...yes?"

Richard sighed. "Can...can I come in?"

Roy arched his eyebrow. "What?" he said confusedly. "Who are you?"

Richard eyed Roy back, glancing up & down the man who stood before him. Was this the wrong Roy Harper? Had he found someone else who happened to share his name? No, impossible. He looked just like him. Granted, the last time he saw him was the week before, & he had shaggy hair & a scruffy beard, but...it was him. He must've shaved. But...why didn't he remember Richard.

Richard bit his lip. He thought back to why he had come to see Roy in the first place. "Dammit, Barry," he grunted.

Roy opened his door a little more, stepping closer to Richard. "Barry? You know Barry Allen?"

Richard nodded. "Yeah, I...I do. Or, at least I thought I did." He thought back to his encounter with Barry back in Central City. Richard shook his head in embarrassment & guilt. "Man, I need a drink."

* * *

Richard sat alongside Roy at a nearby bar, not far from Roy's apartment. The two sat in awkward silence as the rest of the bar chattered & murmured. It wasn't too early, but, still awkwardly early for day drinking. Richard needed it, though. He wasn't feeling alright anymore.

"So," Roy started, "we were...partners?"

Richard nodded. "Yeah, man. You with a bow, me with a staff. We fought Russians together & some mercenaries. We broke into Cadmus & rescued your brother & some prisoners together, alongside Rachel." Richard paused, hoping for a response from Roy at Rachel's name. "You hated Rachel. You two never stopped arguing. Then again, she hated just about everyone, but still."

Roy turned to Richard, then glanced down at his shot glass. It was empty. Richard embarrassingly looked down, away from Roy. "I promise, I'm not making this up," he said softly.

Roy nodded. "Okay," he said. "Sure. I...I guess I believe you."

Richard looked up at Roy, who stared back at his own glass of ale & drank it in one slow gulp. Richard shook his head. "You don't remember, though."

Roy shrugged. "I mean, what do you want me to say?" he scoffed. "You say we were best friends, & that you rescued me from a mugging in Gotham. I've never been to Gotham, man. Not ever. I don't remember meeting the Batman, whoever the hell that is, & I don't remember hanging around a kid named Dick. I'd certainly remember a kid named Dick because, I mean, come on."

Richard ran a frustrated hand through his hand & sighed deeply. "Okay. So, Gotham isn't a thing anymore," he muttered. He glanced back at Roy. "Were you...still Arsenal?"

Roy nodded softly. "Yeah, man. I...I was, once upon a time." He turned away from Richard & lifted up his glass to drink. "How do you know about that?" he asked before taking his sip.

"Because I know you, Roy," Richard pleaded. "I remember hearing about your death in Starling City, outing yourself as the Arrow. I remember you having to go into hiding after faking that death, letting Oliver Queen become the Green Arrow."

Roy's eyes opened widely in panic. "What the hell, man?" he hissed. "Keep your mouth shut!" He glanced around the almost empty bar, then turned back to Richard. "Who the hell told you this?"

Richard shook his head. "No one, man. I investigated it on my own. I was in Star City just last week. I confronted Oliver about it." Richard's fingers began to rub against each other nervously. "He...he brought you back into town to see me, man."

Roy arched his eyebrow. "I...what?"

Richard shook his head, feeling more & more frustrated. "Dude, this was just last week. You helped me take down the Red Hood. You helped me track down Jason Todd after he came back."

"Who is Jason Todd?" Roy asked. "I've never met a Jason Todd."

Richard sighed. "You saw Thea Queen last week, Roy."

Roy shook his head. "I haven't seen Thea since last year, kid. I definitely don't even have a brother, so I know I definitely haven't been to Cadmus, & I've never met the Batman, or this Robin kid, or worked with some Titans. I've never met a Red Hood, or a Cobblepot, or a Nolan Drake." He turned to Richard. "I'm sorry dude, but, you're out of your mind."

Richard's fists clenched tightly. This didn't make any sense. He had just met with Roy back in Star City. He wasn't making any of it up, he wasn't crazy. There's no way none of it happened. Nightwing & Arsenal, finding the Red Hood, along with the Green Arrow & Robin. Richard knew that happened. As for Nolan Drake & their encounter with Cadmus & the rest of the Titans, all of that definitely happened. So why the hell did Roy not remember any of it?

Barry said that the creation of Flashpoint altered time, & when he tried to fix what he changed, things were still altered. Did...did that mean that people's memories were completely rewritten? After all, just a few days ago, Roy was still Richard's friend. A few days ago, Cheyenne was still dead. A few days ago, the Flash was a grown man. Now he didn't seem much older than Richard. Did Barry really create another reality after Flashpoint? If so...then why was Richard the only one who could recall the real reality?

Richard let out a shuddered breath. He was actually scared. For the first time in a long time, he was truly terrified.

"Listen, Richard, or whatever, I gotta go," Roy said. He glanced around the bar, then looked back at Richard. He almost didn't hear Roy sit up from his bar stool & walk away, leaving Richard alone.

Richard glanced back at the door, noticing Roy out onto the street. Roy looked at Richard like he was a stranger. What if everyone suddenly forgot who Richard was? Something needed to change. Something needed to change soon. Richard needed to find the Flash again. Not some scrawny doofus working out of an abandoned science lab. He needed to find HIS Flash. He needed to make Barry fix everything.


	8. Chapter 8: What We Do

**Chpt. VIII: What We Do**

Richard laid on his bed with his legs crossed & rested his hands on his laptop. He felt his fingers itching to begin tapping on the keyboard, but Richard wasn't sure what his next move was. He wanted to find the Flash, but, clearly there was some alteration in time that caused Richard to encounter more than one Flash in his life. He needed to find the original one, the one who could fix what was happening to everyone in his life. He didn't know how to go about it.

Richard sighed. He just wanted to get things back to the way they were.

Richard opened up the program that Harper Row had designed for him years ago on his laptop. It was a program that could hack into virtually any database. Of course, it was limited to a certain extent, but maybe it could be of use. Richard opened up the search bar feature of the program & entered the keyword "Flash". Nothing seemed to come up. Richard bit his lip, then entered "Barry Allen" as a keyword. Nothing. Richard groaned & entered "multiverse". An article written by a Professor Martin Stein appeared. The man lived in Central City. Richard nodded, then began searching "Martin Stein" as a keyword. However, there were no records of the man anywhere for almost a year. It was as though the man vanished.

Richard grunted. He couldn't find anything on the Flash through his normal methods of research. He couldn't think of anyone else who would be of actual help to him, aside from the scrawny kid he met in Central City the other day. But...the Flash was a part of the League. Maybe the League would know something. Maybe, if Richard explained what was happening, & how the Flash caused Cheyenne's return, they could fix it. They could make Barry fix it.

The League was out of the question, though. Bruce made it very clear that he didn't want Richard up there anymore.

Maybe Richard could hack his way into the server, getting Bruce's data from the Watchtower. After all, he had his own private files on each member of the League.

Richard began typing away. He activated the hacking feature of the software, readying the program for hacking. He began searching for a way for the program to be linked into the League's Watchtower servers, but...nothing came up. It was as though the Watchtower's servers were nonexistent. Richard cursed to himself. He needed to find a way to circumvent the Watchtower's security, or whatever was keeping Richard out.

Richard attempted to access the Watchtower database a second time for good measure, but it was still restricted. Richard sighed. He thought Harper's computer program she installed would have been good enough to hack into any system. Then again, they hadn't prepared the program for the Watchtower's system. Maybe...maybe he should just ask her for help.

Richard reached for his cell phone & dialed Harper Row's number. The phone call rang for a few moments, then the ringing stopped.

" _Hello?_ " a young boy answered on the other end.

"Oh, um...hi. Is Harper there?"

" _Yeah, one sec,_ " the boy said, calling out to Harper from aside. After a few moments, the speaker switched to Harper. " _Dick?_ " Harper asked.

Richard cleared his throat. "Harper. Hey," Richard responded awkwardly.

Harper sighed. " _Dick, it feels like it's been so long,_ " she said softly. " _How are you?_ "

Richard clicked his tongue. "I...I don't know, Harper. I really don't know."

" _What do you mean?_ " Harper asked.

Richard shook his head. "So much has happened, Harper, & I'm just not sure I'm ready to go into it right now."

" _Oh, okay,_ " Harper said.

Richard bit his lip. He didn't want to just ask her for help right away. It didn't feel right, not after the way things ended with her back in Gotham & with Nolan Drake. "How...how's your younger brother?" Richard asked.

Harper let out a deep breath, either from relief or sadness. " _Cullen is alright. He...he's okay. He's staying with me, now. I'm enrolling him into his last year of middle school._ "

"Wow," Richard said. "That's great!"

" _Yeah,_ " Harper said softly, not buying into Richard's enthusiasm. " _He's president of this gay-straight alliance club in his school._ "

Richard nodded. "That's actually really good," he said softly. "He's getting involved."

Harper sighed. " _Yeah, but...he hasn't been the same since Nolan. He's okay… & he's a good kid. I love my little brother, Richard, & I'm always going to love him no matter what, but...Cullen isn't the same because of Nolan._"

Richard felt his heart dropped. He was the one who found Cullen when Nolan Drake kidnapped him years ago. Nolan had abused the poor boy in heinous & unimaginable ways. Cullen was so young. It broke Richard's heart, seeing what he saw. Richard would send him & Harper money occasionally. He wasn't necessarily sure that they needed it, or even wanted it. He just wanted Harper to know that Richard was there for her & her younger brother.

" _How's Tim Drake?_ " Harper asked, a hint of harshness in her tone.

Richard sighed. He knew that she knew the connection between Tim & Nolan, & that Tim was Robin. "He's okay. He's with Bruce in Gotham."

Harper kept quiet for a moment. Richard didn't want to press on about Tim, or Nolan, or even her brother. He should, but, he had pressing matters at hand. "I hate to ask, but, I need a favor."

Harper sighed. " _What kind of favor?"_ Harper asked. Suddenly, Richard had peaked her interest. This detective work was something that Harper enjoyed. Richard could see that easily. Yet, she always rejected his offers to get her into the GCPD, or even help out in Blüdhaven's law enforcement. She probably felt that she looked better with her blue hair instead of a blue badge.

Richard sighed. "Well, right now, there's this girl, Cheyenne. She's...come back. Somehow. I'm not sure how it happened, & I think there's someone behind it. I'm trying to find that person, but I can't."

Harper was silent for a moment. " _I'm not sure I'm following, Dick,_ " she said.

Richard bit his lip. "I'm hoping to gain some intel through a server, but I can't hack through the firewalls or something."

" _My program hasn't decrypted it?_ " Harper asked.

"It's from the Watchtower," Richard said.

Harper's silence spoke volumes as to what she was suddenly feeling. After everything with Cadmus, Harper went on the low for a while. She did help out Robin occasionally, but once he was inducted into the League, & he became a part of the Titans initiative that he started, things changed. The Titans were disbanded, & Harper went quiet.

" _I can't believe this. The League?_ " Harper grunted.

"Harper, I just need help decrypting this file."

" _Who is this Cheyenne chick? Do you really need her so badly?_ "

Richard scoffed frustratedly. "Harper, this is important. I'm out of options, & this is my only lead."

Harper stayed silent for a very long time. Richard was unsure as to why Harper was suddenly so bothered to help Richard hack into a file. She did it before, & she loved it. She always enjoyed helping Richard out on his cases. What changed?

"Harper," Richard started. "Did...did something happen to you?"

Harper was still silent. She was always so tough. She was one of the toughest girls that Richard had ever met, & he wasn't afraid to admit that. He admired Harper, & always considered her a good friend. But something was off. Why was she suddenly shutting down?

"I...I guess I haven't been around often," Richard began. "Me moving to Blüdhaven was kind of sudden, &...I guess I really didn't stop to consider whether you needed me around. I never really felt like I had left you, or Cullen, but...I guess I did. I thought it was okay, but it probably wasn't. It's not fair for me to have just left you two. I always thought you two would be okay, but, I still thought about you guys. I...I don't know. I'm sorry."

Harper took a deep breath. " _It's not about that, Dick, or the money you send us every few months. It's not even about Cullen, because I've grown to accept him. I'm raising my baby brother alright. It's Cadmus. When I helped you that night, I didn't realize what doors I was opening._ "

Richard's thoughts strayed back to the heist he & Harper pulled when breaking into Cadmus. "What do you mean?" Richard asked.

Harper didn't speak for a few moments. " _Those bastards found me,_ " Harper said, her voice breaking. " _They found me & threatened my life. They threatened Cullen's life. I...I don't know, Dick. I've kept away from hacking for a while. At least the big stuff. I can still do a police station's database with my eyes closed, but...I really need to step away from that work._"

Richard sighed to himself. "I'm...I'm so sorry, Harper. I wish you had told me."

Harper scoffed. " _It's fine, Dick. It's about time I grew up, anyway. I'm not a teenager, anymore. I have to think about Cullen._ "

Suddenly, the thought of growing up dawned on Richard. He was grown up for sure. He grew out of his own name, his old suit, & became his own man in his own city with a new name, but...was he really grown up? Harper's idea of growing up seemed to be settling down & turning away from the vigilante life. But...could you grow up as a vigilante? Or...is there anything left after that? Suddenly, Richard felt as though he had been awakened in a whole new sense. Maybe...maybe he wanted something more out of life.

" _I'll do this one thing for you, Richard. This one time, & then we can try & move past this._"

Richard sighed. "You don't have to, Harper."

" _I know, Dick,_ " Harper said. " _But I think I owe you this favor, still. And I know what you're doing is for a good cause. It always is._ "

Richard smiled to himself. Suddenly, the mouse on his computer screen began moving on it's own. " _I'm taking control of your software wirelessly,"_ Harper explained. " _It'll take a few minutes."_

Richard nodded. He bit his lip. "Do...do you regret it?"

Harper didn't respond for a few moments. " _Regret what?"_

"Doing what you did," Richard started. "Getting into hacking...helping me out all these years?"

Richard could still see movement on his computer screen as Harper answered. " _I've been working with computers ever since I was 8, bro. I don't regret getting into it, but...I feel like I flew too close to the sun too many times, you know?"_

Richard nodded, understanding. " _I hope that whatever you're about to do, Dick, that you're taking what happened to me into consideration."_ Harper paused, letting the words sink in for Richard. " _What we do...it's great for a while, but, there ARE consequences, Dick. It'll come back to bite you in the ass, & we're not all lucky enough to come out of this game alive."_

Richard bit his lip, suddenly feeling a sense of helplessness again. There were things happening in Richard's life that he couldn't just ignore, but, Harper was right. Whatever he did, there would be consequences that he'd have to pay for. Jason suffered the consequences, but, he got lucky. Laurel Lance suffered the consequences, but she had to pay the price with her life. If Richard wasn't careful...he could be next.

Suddenly, a beep sounded from Richard's laptop. He glanced down at his screen, seeing camera feed from the Watchtower. " _Managed to get live security feed from the Watchtower, but that's it,"_ Harper admitted. " _I'm sorry."_

Richard smiled softly. "This is more than enough, Harper. I can definitely work with this. Thank you."

" _Yeah, yeah, just..."_ Harper's voice trailed off. " _Just be careful, man."_

Richard nodded to himself. "I will, Harper." He sighed, feeling content with catching up with his old friend again. "You take care too, okay?" He almost hung up, but caught himself. "Oh, & tell Cullen that Robin said hi."

Harper let out a soft laugh that Richard didn't know she was capable of. " _Yeah, Dick. I will."_ With that, Harper Row hung up the phone, leaving Richard alone in his bedroom with access to eyes in the Watchtower. Suddenly, Richard's trained mind began percolating a new plot to get ahold of Barry Allen.


	9. Chapter 9: Answers

**Chpt. IX: Answers**

Richard slowly approached the Hall of Justice building, feeling his body stretch out the form of the Nightwing suit. Richard made sure he had each & every single piece of his equipment ready with him, & that he had everything in a surplus amount. He was nervous about what he was about to do, but, he felt that he needed to do this. If nobody was able to cooperate, he would have to take matters into his own hands.

Richard made his way to the front doors of the building & pushed them open. The front of the Hall still remained pristine clean, but empty for the most. The monuments of the former Justice Society members seemed to stare at Richard, tracing their eyes wherever Richard went. He felt a sense of judgement from the colossal statues, & he almost felt guilty. Richard then scoffed to himself. These people were dead. The dead didn't want anything.

Richard quietly tip-toed over to the elevator & called the button. He waited for it to reemerge, but it was taking exceptionally longer. Richard waited, & finally, the doors slid open. Richard stepped inside & pressed the combination of buttons for the boom tube activation. After a moment, the panel opened up & Richard was scanned by a red light. However, a low pitched beep echoed in the elevator. " _Unrecognized."_

Richard cursed to himself. Bruce must have changed the security protocol already, removing Richard's biomatrix from the Watchtower's system. Luckily, Richard had anticipated that.

Richard knelt down & brought his wrist up, activating his holographic deck. A small computer system shone upward, phasing in & out of view due to the elevator's chrome walls. Richard was able to use the system that Harper hacked into to be able to direct some of her connection into other places within the Watchtower. However, Richard only desired to hack into the boom tube system. He could handle just about everything else.

Richard placed his finger over a small icon in the hologram, activating a quick override process. The elevator sudden beeped again. " _Recognize: Batman."_

Richard stood up as the boom tube began to hum within the elevator. He had approximately 180 seconds before the system would register the possibility of the Batman having registered into the system twice that night. For all Richard knew, Bruce was still in Gotham. He may not be in the Tower. Richard would be lucky if he wasn't, but, he still needed to prep in case he was.

Richard counted to himself. He had spent 15 seconds traveling through the boom tube off world, into the large satellite. He would reach the Tower before the boom tube's system would shut down due to the hacked override.

The elevator doors opened, revealing the hall that lead to the Watchtower. Richard felt his heart beat fast & his palms grow sweaty within his fingerless gloves. He reached over his back, grasping one end of his escrima stick. He slid it out of his armor's slit for the staff, then slowly approached the entrance.

Richard steadied his breathing, letting breaths go in & out quietly & slowly. He surveyed the circular room, expecting to find somebody. However, it seemed as though no one was on board the Watchtower.

Frustrated, Richard made his way to the large computer panel in the middle of the room & pressed on the screen, activating it. The computer showed the League members who were currently present. It contained J'onn J'onzz, Arthur Curry, Diana Prince, Clark Kent, & Bruce Wayne. There was a new name on the list, however. Hal Jordan was now logged in, rather than Billy Batson. For some reason, the large man with the bolt on his chest was gone, & now...a Hal Jordan was there. Things changed in the Watchtower too, apparently. There seemed to be no indication that Barry Allen was on board. The Flash definitely had something to do with these changes too. Richard felt his grip on his escrima staff clench tightly.

Richard was startled by the sounds of doors opening. He knelt down & hid behind the computer panel, unsure of who entered the room. A voice echoed out to Richard. "Come on out," called a man. "We've already caught you on our monitors. Just come out, & we can do this the easy way."

Richard bit his lip, suddenly analyzing each option that he had available to him. He hadn't expected to be caught this quickly at all, but, this didn't change his thoughts at all. He was still prepared to do what needed to be done.

Richard stood up slowly, releasing a deep breath. His chest heaved heavily, sticking out defiantly. He clenched his staff tightly in his fist, then made his way around the computer dashboard, revealing himself to the League members. Aquaman stood at the other side of the Tower, with the Martian Manhunter & a man in a black & green bodysuit standing behind him.

Richard sighed. "Where's the Flash?"

Aquaman stared at Richard, unaware that he was the Batman's former protégé, & glanced back at his comrades with uncertainty. They muttered something to one another, then Aquaman turned back to Richard. "Who are you?" he asked.

Richard felt his hand over his utility belt slowly. He prepped himself for what was about to occur. "Call me Nightwing."

Before anyone could move a muscle, Richard tossed three winglets towards the heroes, then quickly leaped towards the blonde haired Atlantean. Curry managed to deflect the winglet blade with a metallic blade on his wrist, but was not able to counter Richard's backward kick. Richard's leg swung back once more, connecting his foot to Curry's face, then finally, swinging his hand downward. His staff slapped Curry's head hard, causing the man to stagger. Richard landed on his feet, ready for Aquaman's next move, but was pushed back by a rock-hard wall.

Richard groaned as he stood up in pain, & found himself staring down the man in the green suit. His eyes were covered by a green eye mask that turned his pupils white, similarly to Richard's own. However, it...gleamed in the light, along with the rest of his suit. The strangest thing about this man was the fact that his right hand was glowing an immensely bright green glow. Richard eyed the man carefully. He caught sight of the small ring that the man wore in his tightly clenched fist.

"Stand down," the man called. "I don't want to hurt you, kid."

Richard scoffed. "Who the hell are you?" he called back. "Where did Batson go?"

The man arched his eyebrow curiously at Richard. "I'm the Green Lantern."

Richard stared at the man in genuine confusion. Before he could take a moment to consider what this man's ability was, a large green mass of light emerged from his right fist. This green mass took form of an even larger fist, then swung its way around, knocking Richard off balance. He slid across the ground until he finally came to a stop.

Richard found himself at the feet of the Martian, who glared down at Richard in fury. The telepath probably figured out that the mysterious intruder was, in fact, Richard in disguise. Despite his blank stare that was pupiless, Richard could sense the rage from the alien. J'onn J'onzz had been dying to get his hands on the Boy Wonder.

Richard felt his body being lifted, dragged into the air against his will. Richard felt his heart beat faster within his chest in panic as his throat closed tight. Richard was positioned to face the Martian, whose eyes glowed red like the rage within him. He was probably going to kill Richard.

Richard managed to feel his legs move freely, discovering J'onn's lack of control over his bottom limbs. Richard instinctively swung one leg up, shoving it straight between the Martian's thighs. The Manhunter suddenly lost his telekinetic grip on Richard, dropping him onto the ground. Richard smiled. He wasn't sure if Martians had human anatomy, but, it seemed as though he was lucky.

Richard acted quickly. The Martian struggled to stand up, but the few seconds was all Richard needed. He grabbed a small bottle within his utility belt & opened up its top. He began pouring it onto the ground, tracing it around the Martian. He poured it until he created a circle around J'onn, then tossed it. He held his escrima stick & activated its electricity function, watching the sparks fly out at one end of the staff.

Richard was about to bring it down when he caught sight of Aquaman suddenly running towards him. Richard panicked, & pressed the staff down onto the ground, allowing the sparks to ignite a flame over the fluid he had poured. Suddenly, a large flaming circle was set ablaze, engulfing the Martian.

Richard quickly turned around & managed to deflect a blow from Curry, who now held a trident in his hand. Richard's staff was weak compared to the metallic weapon, but, Richard managed to get the upperhand. Richard brought his knee up to Curry's stomach, causing him to double over. Richard brought his staff back down over Curry's head, then swung it back around, smacking the staff against Curry's face from underneath. Curry fell onto his back, but quickly began chanting something. Richard stepped back for a moment, confused, then caught sight of the strange orb of water that began forming in Curry's hand.

Richard acted quickly. He readjusted his staff once more to spark electricity at his end, then stabbed Aquaman's hand with the staff's end, causing the water to electrocute the Atlantean. The King shook & shivered on the ground spastically. He looked like a fish out of water.

Richard felt a presence approaching him from behind & he quickly leaped up into the air, backflipping over the Green Lantern's head. He landed smoothly on his feet & quickly swung his escrima stick outward, slapping the back of the Lantern's head. The man staggered, then turned back to Richard. His face expressed more annoyance than rage. "I don't know you, man, but I know I don't like you," the Green Lantern groaned.

Richard smirked. "Yeah, & I really don't like you either," he grunted as he ran towards the Lantern. He swung a fist, connecting it to the man's face. The man barely flinched, swinging another punch at Richard. Richard deflected the blow, & blocked the man's attempt to attack with a left hook. Richard took the man's arm & twisted it around his body, then bent it back against Richard's forearm. The Green Lantern cried out in agony as Richard shoved him to the side. The man's arm hung from his shoulder lifelessly, but, his hand still continued to glow bright green. The light was emerging from the ring he wore.

Richard walked over towards the Green Lantern, who struggled to lift his broken arm up. He attempted to conjure up some force from his ring of light, but Richard grabbed the man's hand & yanked the ring off of his finger. Suddenly, the man that called himself the Green Lantern...changed. The green bodysuit that the man wore disintegrated into the man's skin, revealing the man's brown pilot jacket & blue jeans that we was apparently wearing the entire time. On his jacket, a name was patched onto his chest. It read "Jordan."

Richard eyed the pilot as he groaned in pain, then glanced down at the ring he had taken. This ring could manifest a suit for this man, along with whatever else he wanted. Richard saw him create a fist out of the energy emitting from the ring. Richard bit his lip. What the hell was this ring capable of?

Suddenly, Richard heard footsteps from the other end of the room, only these weren't normal footsteps. They were the sounds of heels clicking against the hard floor.

Richard dropped the ring & spun around to find the gorgeous Amazonian Princess, baring her bronze armor chest plate & her gauntlets. Her shield was resting on her back, while she held her sword confidently in her right hand. Richard remembered meeting this woman for the first time. He was younger, & more nervous. She was beyond beautiful, but incredibly intimidating. Richard, despite all that he had endured over the last few years, was still frightened by her.

Diana glanced around the Watchtower's central command center, spotting the Martian, gasping for air within a ring of fire. She turned to the other side & saw the Atlantean, laying on the ground almost lifelessly. His muscles twitched in spasms every few moments. Diana turned to face Richard, then noticed the fallen Green Lantern kneeling behind him. Diana's eyes showed concern for these men, but when she glanced up at Richard, they showed pure hatred. "What have you done?" she growled quietly.

Richard gulped. "I...I am looking for the Flash," he managed to croak.

Diana stared Richard down furiously. She swung her sword around in her hand, slowly walking towards him. She eyed the young man. "I do not know what you want with that man, nor do I know why you thought he would be here. But I can tell you one thing for certain." Diana stopped a few feet away from Richard, then brought her blade up, pointing it underneath his chin, less than an inch from his throat. Richard's heart beat fast. Diana spoke. "You made a mistake coming here, boy."

Richard swiftly moved to the side as Diana swung her sword, attempting to slit Richard's neck. Richard kept moving away, dodging backwards as the Amazonian continued to swung her blade upward, downward, & from each side. She eventually struck forward, piercing Richard's arm. Unfortunately, his armor couldn't withstand the blade's cut. Richard hissed as he covered the wound with one hand, but quickly shrugged it off. He leaped forward, staff in hand, & swung it at Diana's head. She blocked his blow by raising her arm up, allowing her shield to deflect Richard's staff. Richard swung again, but Diana blocked once more. Richard swung his staff a few more times until Diana parried, countering with another jab with her sword. Richard backflipped away, earning about three seconds to act offensively.

Richard considered the Wonder Woman's abilities. She was a warrior with skilled training & remarkable strength. Not invincible, he noted. However, she did have a particular strength, one that was derived from her whip. The Lasso was apparently a mystical weapon, although Richard was not sure what it was capable of. He just needed to stay away from the whip.

As Diana slid on the ground, sword in hand, Richard leaped over the woman, but quickly caught sight of her blade gleaming in the light. She struck upward, but Richard managed to deflect the blade with his own staff. He landed on his feet, then quickly spun around to spot the Amazonian returning to Richard for another attack.

Richard acted on instinct. He reached for his winglets & tossed a handful at Diana. She managed to dodge a few & slice one with her blade, but one exploded near her face. A smokey substance began to collect around her head, causing the woman to cough uncontrollably. She struggled to stand upright, but, could not. In all honesty, Richard felt terrible for hurting her.

Richard approached the Princess slowly. "Tear Gas," he said. "I didn't think you ever cried, Diana."

The Wonder Woman glanced up at Richard, eyes red & watery. She coughed once more, then spoke to him. "Who are you, trespasser?"

Richard shook his head. "No, tell me where Barry Allen is."

Before he could even realize what was happening, Richard felt something wrapping around his chest tightly. Richard felt dizzy suddenly, feeling another presence within his own mind. His dizziness caused him to fall onto his knees, tied up, facing Diana Prince. Her red irritated eyes glared at Richard as she held one end of the lasso in her hand. "Who are you?" she asked.

Suddenly, an answer croaked from his throat. "Dick Grayson," he gasped.

Diana's eyes widened. "D...Dick?" she said softly. "The...the Boy Wonder?" The Princess stared deep into Richard's eyes with sudden horror. Richard had never seen Diana look this way. It was unnerving. "I...why, Dick?" she asked.

"Time has been altered by the Flash, & I want to make him fix it," Richard answered. "One way, or another, I will make him fix this."

Diana gasped a shuddered breath. She looked away from the former Robin, avoiding making any more eye contact. She seemed to be hiding a look of guilt from Richard, possibly from her failed attempts to help him & the other Robins when Bruce was hurting them, or guilt from hurting Richard herself. Perhaps she felt horror from the man that Richard had become, now that she saw what he was capable of doing to the League.

Richard's subconscious suddenly crept into his mind again. _Get out._ Without needing a second to think, he thrusted his head forward, headbutting Diana. She fell over for a moment, releasing her grasp on her lasso. Richard outstretched his arms  & took the lasso in his own hands, then began tying the Princess's hands together. Her gauntlets were conjoined, glowing a bright golden glow. After a few seconds, the lasso began to glow, then her gauntlets sparked against the lasso, & all light & color drained from the metallic bracelets & the whip. Diana gasped, as though Richard had just delivered a strong blow into her stomach. She finally collapsed in defeat, leaving Richard alone in the room, without any answers or satisfaction.

Richard stood up, examining the Watchtower's room. After catching glimpses of the pilot clutching his broken arm, he turned to spot the Martian enclosed in the slowly dying fire, & the Atlantean finally relaxing, groaning as he breathed deeply after having been electrocuted. Richard noticed Diana, despite breathing, looking as though she was now dying. Richard knew he hadn't killed anyone. He could've if he wanted to, but...he just needed the Flash.

"Dick," called a familiar man's voice. Richard turned to spot the Man of Steel standing next to the Dark Knight, both staring at the scene before them in shock. Richard glanced at the both of them, suddenly feeling nervous. He didn't want to have to take either of them down.

"What the hell did you do?" Bruce called from across the room. He stepped up to approach Richard as Clark began to blow heavily at the fire entrapping J'onn, putting out the deadly flames. Richard turned to the Bat. He couldn't see Bruce's face, but he felt as though Bruce's expression was one of anger rather than concern. After all, he wasn't his son. Why should he be concerned about Richard doing such a cruel thing?

"They're not dead," Richard called back. "I just couldn't have anyone stand in my way."

"Stand in your way of doing what?" Bruce growled.

Richard grasped his escrima staff tightly, readying himself for another fight. "Taking in the Flash," Richard said softly.

Bruce was a few feet away, ready to attack, when he stopped. "What?" he said softly.

Clark helped J'onn to sit upright, then made his way over to Richard & Bruce. "Richard, I'm afraid what you've done here cannot be ignored. We're going to have to put you into confinement before you do anything else.

Richard panicked. He saw Clark approach Richard, noticing his hands reach out for the boy. He knew very well what the Man of Steel was capable of, but he couldn't take any chances. None at all.

Before he knew it, he removed a small cube from within his utility belt & unclipped the top, revealing a small, glowing, green shard. This shard glistened in the light, radiating a soft smokey mist. Richard & Bruce had small stones just like this back at the Manor. There was only one man on Earth who would every trust Bruce or Richard with these shards of Kryptonite, & that was Superman. "In case of emergencies", the Kryptonian once said, instructing the two to only use it at dire moments. Richard felt that this moment was dire enough. Clark would forgive him.

Clark gasped as Richard held the shard within the cube up in the air. Clark carefully took a few steps back, stepping away from Richard & the cube. He knew he couldn't make a move on Richard. Richard was holding all of the cards, single handedly taking down each League member. This, however, left only Bruce.

The Bat stared back at Richard, frowning underneath the mask. "Stop it, Dick."

Richard shook his head. "No, Bruce. No. For once, people are going to listen to me. People need to know what the Flash did, & why I need to bring him in."

Bruce shook his head. "Richard, the Flash is in Central City. The League-"

"I already found that Flash," Richard spat back, cutting Bruce off. "That scrawny little guy did something, but, he's not the Flash. I...I don't know, I guess there's more than one Flash, because I know he's different than the one that you & I have known for the past few years. The one that's been up here, with us in the Watchtower, he knows what happened, & I need to bring that son of a bitch in to fix everything."

Bruce took a deep breath. "Fix what, Richard?"

"Time!" Richard cried, throwing the stone at the ground in frustration. "He changed time, rewriting it so that some people aren't alive & some are dead! I...I don't know how any of it is possible, but he did & I need him to fix it!" Richard began heaving, losing his breath as he began to feel as though air was being stripped from his lungs. Clark stood up slowly as Bruce continued to watch Richard. The look of concern finally washed over him. "He...I don't know, man. He did something. People might die soon. People might be killed. Things might happen that shouldn't normally happen, & for all we know, this could very well cause some rift in the space-time continuum. I have no idea how the hell any of it would work. Tim might have a better idea, I don't know. Maybe Barbara would, but, I can't ask her because she hates me. Maybe...maybe if he hadn't changed time, things would be okay with us. I...I don't know…"

Richard's voice trailed off. He rubbed his eyes with his hands, wiping the tears from his eye underneath his mask. He stared down at the ground, feeling an overwhelming sense of defeat. He knew it was wrong. He failed. He destroyed everything, & just as he had the small inkling of hope when he came onboard, he knew that he wouldn't accomplish what he needed. He felt as though his only sense of power & control over the situation had finally been ripped away from his hands.

Clark walked up to Richard & placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Dick...the Flash is in Central City. Him, as well as the Green Arrow, are both under League surveillance. We haven't been able to make contact with either. The Flash has never been up here, in the Watchtower."

Richard felt his heart skip a beat as he let the words sink in. He felt his stomach flip upside down, as though he had been punched in the guy by the Man of Steel himself, robbing Richard of his oxygen. There...there was no way. It didn't make sense. It couldn't be. Barry Allen...wrote himself out of existence? Or, at least, he wrote this version of himself out of existence. But...how?

Richard shook the thoughts from his head. He couldn't dwell on any of this. Not here. Richard couldn't get the help he thought he would get, but he sure as hell wouldn't leave empty. Without saying another word, Richard brushed passed Clark, then Bruce, & made his way into the hallway that the two had come from. He was gone for several minutes, causing Bruce & Clark to worry. They, however, didn't follow him. When Richard returned, he came with Cheyenne, holding his hand as he led her across the Tower towards the elevator. Cheyenne glanced around the Watchtower, noticing the scattered fallen League members, then rested her head on Richard's shoulder. Richard held Cheyenne's hands tighter, not giving a second look to Bruce or Clark. Despite having Bruce disown him & shut him out of the League, he felt as though he had betrayed another team once again.


	10. Chapter 10: Reality

**Chpt. X: Reality**

Richard stared back at his glass balcony door before him, examining every little detail on the thing that he had created. He was missing something. He knew it. There were changes happening all around Richard, & he needed to outline every single change in the world, or...in his world. He needed a way to keep up with the world & the aftereffects of the new timeline that was created after Flashpoint.

He groaned & collapsed on the couch directly in front of the balcony doors. He had created a large outline with a marker & several sticky notes & photographs that he had printed out from his computer. He wrote two lines; the first contain photos & notes regarding events in Richard's life that he remembers, while the second contained photos & notes referring to events that Richard had no recollection about.

Subtle things changed around Richard aside from Cheyenne. Some things never changed, however. For example, Cadmus was still raided years ago by "unknown parties", resulting in five missing test subjects, just as Richard had done years before with Harper, Rachel, & Roy. However, this was altered, causing Roy to not remember. So, in the other timeline, Roy was not involved in this heist. There was also a change in this new timeline in which Gotham Academy was never blown up by Nolan Drake. There was also a new chain of coffee shops called Jitters across the coast. Subtle changes.

Richard stared, analyzing each detail that had shifted ever since Flashpoint. Barry mentioned that it had occurred three months ago, so he figured the changes would only exist over the course of three months. This, however, was not the case. Barry also mentioned a breach being opened into...parallel worlds. Richard also took note of that, contemplating the theory of the multiverse & whether or not Richard was, in fact, on another version of Earth. All of these variables were suddenly coming into play, making everything a lot more complicated.

But did any of this really affect himself? After all, he got back his childhood love. He got back a fallen brother. Richard should should be happy, right? Why wouldn't he be? Why...couldn't he just let himself be happy?

Just as he was beginning to feel down, a comforting hand slide into his own. He glanced down to see Cheyenne, gazing up at the work Richard had done. "Redecorating?" she joked.

Richard laughed softly. "Yeah, I got sick of police choppers flying overhead, shining their beams down on me when I'm nude."

"Yeah, that would suck," Cheyenne said, grinning to herself. "God forbid anyone sees you naked."

Richard glanced down at Cheyenne, who was staring back up at Richard. Her smile was seductive. He knew when someone was coming onto him. Cheyenne definitely was. Richard smiled back. When he first found her in Chinatown, Cheyenne looked so innocent. She somehow managed to make herself so appealing to him, despite his memories of her being so young. Even now, it was strange seeing her as anything other than the girl he grew up with, but...she was someone he had wanted for such a long time. Ever since he knew what love was, he knew he felt it for her.

Richard threw his arm around Cheyenne & smiled. "I'm glad you're here, Cheyenne," he said.

Cheyenne rested her head on Richard's shoulder. "Yeah, I didn't think I'd get to leave the Watchtower so quickly, but, I'm glad you came."

Richard nodded. He thought back to what he did to the League. He hoped they wouldn't be coming for him. They shouldn't be. It was the Flash they needed to have their eyes sets on.

Cheyenne patted Richard's chest, then began to walk away. He watched as she strutted towards the kitchen in nothing but a large t-shirt & some boxers. Richard didn't have any women's pajamas for Cheyenne to wear, so, he just let her where his own. It wasn't a big deal, but, he definitely did enjoy seeing her in his clothes a little.

"Hey Dick," Cheyenne called from the kitchen. "Want me to cook some pasta?"

Richard smiled, glancing back at the timelines on his glass walls. "I was gonna order in. How do you feel about Thai?"

Cheyenne was silent for a moment. "Chinese, or no deal," she finally called.

Richard shrugged. "Chinese is fine," he admitted.

With that, Cheyenne raced out of the kitchen. "Okay, good, because I'm actually a terrible cook," she called out quickly. She ran into his bedroom before Richard could even let out a laugh, then watched as she leaped onto his bed & got comfortable, watching his television.

Richard smiled. He was glad Cheyenne was settling back into her normal self. Despite her being gone for a few days, she had come a long way from the state that Richard found her at first. Richard glanced up at the wall with the timelines. She was placed back into existence by this speedster, so surely that would take a toll on anybody. Richard sighed. Suddenly, he thought about the speedster. Everything that was going on, the changes, they were still wrong. He lost Roy as a friend. Jason was alive, but thirsty for blood. The Justice League even changed, with this new Jordan man & his overpowered ring replacing the equally overpowering Billy Batson. Despite how much Richard wanted to be happy for what he currently had, it was still unnatural. It couldn't go unnoticed.

Richard fell back onto his couch, gazing up at the wall again. He felt powerless again, more powerless than he already was. He felt as though there was nothing he could do. He really was given no guidance for what was happening. Richard had been on his own in Blüdhaven for a while now, but the work he had been doing was nothing compared to...timelines & parallel universes. What was real? What wasn't? Was this brief moment of happiness he felt with Cheyenne something that he could really let himself enjoy? Could he let himself finally be happy with this one girl? How could he? Time had changed. Cheyenne shouldn't exist. She was…

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Richard glanced back to the door & arched his eyebrow. Was he expecting company? Or was it the Chinese food he ordered? Richard glanced back down on his phone that he left on the coffee table in front of his couch. He hadn't reached for his phone at all since Cheyenne asked for Chinese. So who was at the door?

Richard stood up from his couch & made his way around, towards the front door. He stepped up to the door & peeked through the peephole, hoping to spot the visitor. He, however, saw no one. Richard pulled himself away from the front door. Was he hearing things too?

A second knock, this time harder, pounded against the door, startling Richard. He shook his nerves, then unlocked the door, swinging it opened. At first, he spotted nobody, but he glanced down & saw a redheaded woman sitting in a wheelchair. She wore thick framed glasses over her blue eyes, & a sad look on her face. Richard almost didn't recognize her. It had been so long.

"Dick," Barbara Gordon breathed softly, looking up into Richard's eyes.

Richard stared back into Barbara's eyes, feeling a sudden skip in his heartbeat. What was real anymore? "Babs?" Richard said softly. "What...is that…?"

Barbara smiled weakly. "Jeez, don't hurt yourself, Dick. You look like you've seen a ghost," she remarked. With that, Barbara rolled herself into Richard's apartment casually, then spun it back around to face him.

Richard shut the door behind him, then turned back to his ex-girlfriend. "Barbara….what are you doing here?"

Barbara shrugged in her seat. "What? I can't come visit you?"

Richard bit his lip. "You...you've never come to visit me, Barbara. Like, ever."

Barbara nodded. "Yeah," she sighed, "you're right. I figured I'd come & just see how you've been. It's been a while, & with things in Gotham not getting any better, I just...wanted to see you."

Richard eyed Barbara for a moment. After what happened to her, Barbara's father shunned Richard, making him feel guilty for what the Joker had done to her. However, Richard never expected Barbara to grow a resentment towards him. The tension between them for the next few months after her getting in the wheelchair caused a rift in their relation. The two broke up, forcing Barbara to cut herself from Richard & hang her cape & cowl as Batgirl. Ever since then, Barbara tried to help out more with her office in the GCPD, but aside from that, it was hard for Richard & her to act as though things were okay. They really weren't. He felt as though the Titans would let him cope with this, but even then, he failed at being able to keep the team united. He lost his girlfriend & his friends.

Richard struggled to find the right words. "I...I didn't think you would want to come see me."

Barbara smiled softly. "Richard...we've been through a lot, you & I. We can't go on like this forever."

Richard's eyes widened. What was she saying? Was she trying to start something again?

As if called upon a cue, Cheyenne called out to Richard from within the bedroom. "Dick!" she cried. "Is that the Chinese food?"

Barbara gasped softly as Richard visibly jumped out of his skin, suddenly panicking. "Uh, no," he stammered, calling back to Cheyenne in the bedroom. "It's just-"

Before he could finish his statement, Cheyenne stepped outside of the bedroom, still wearing Richard's t-shirt & boxers. She smiled at Barbara. "Oh, hi!" she greeted cheerfully.

Barbara stared at Cheyenne with a shocked expression, then turned to Richard. Her faint smile suddenly shifted into a cold glare. "This isn't the best time. I'm sorry."

"No, no," Richard started, "it's not like that!" He sighed frustratedly & rubbed his face with his hands. He took a deep breath, then looked back up at the two redheaded women standing before him. "Barbara, this is Cheyenne Freemont. Cheyenne, this is Barbara Gordon."

Cheyenne approached Barbara, reaching out to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you," Cheyenne said.

Barbara gazed up at Cheyenne, noticing each little detail about her. Richard knew how bad this looked. He knew what Barbara was probably thinking. A cute redhead that was a few years younger than him & Barbara half naked in his apartment would piss off any ex-girlfriend. Richard had felt the slightest sliver of hope when Barbara came back, but now...it was all down in the gutter.

Barbara finally shook Cheyenne's hand. "Nice to meet you too, Cheyenne," she said with the faintest bitchy smile.

Cheyenne didn't seem to notice. She bent down to gaze into Barbara's eyes for a moment. "You have the most GORGEOUS blue eyes," Cheyenne complemented with genuine admiration.

A soft smile suddenly stretched over Barbara's face. "Oh, um, thank you," she said.

Richard watched as Cheyenne slowly reached for Barbara's glasses, taking them off. Cheyenne continued to gaze at Barbara with the most innocent interest. Despite it seeming odd, Richard wasn't worried at all. Barbara looked tense for a moment, but, that was to be expected.

"Your glasses give off a glare," Cheyenne started. "They don't like your eyes shine like they would without the glasses." Then Cheyenne quickly popped the glasses over her own face & flipped her hair. She turned to Richard. "Do you think I could rock these?" she asked.

Richard blinked, unsure of how to answer. "Uh, sure, I guess," he said, lacking confidence in his answer. He took the glasses from Cheyenne's face, then handed them to Barbara. "She needs these, Cheyenne. She's as blind as a bat." As soon as he said it, he glanced to Barbara, grinning softly. The pun was unintentional, but he liked it.

Barbara took the glasses & rolled her eyes. "Wow," she scoffed. "That was, uh...that was a good one, Dick."

Richard shrugged. Cheyenne glanced between the two, confused. "I...I don't get it," she said softly. "Is she really that blind?"

Richard & Barbara stared back at Cheyenne, then glanced back at each other. They knew that only they knew about what they did together alongside the Batman. No one truly knew the extent of the family that Bruce had taken under his wing, at least, not in its entirety. Richard turned back to Cheyenne. "I'll order the food soon," he said finally, indicating for her to leave subtly.

Cheyenne nodded with a smile. "Okay then. I'll be in the room," she said. She turned back to Barbara. "It really was nice to meet you," she mentioned before turning & strutting back into the bedroom, closing the door. It was left somewhat open, however. Richard didn't care. He sighed, finally glad that the tension was gone.

As soon as he looked up at Barbara, however, he saw that the tension was still there. "Dick, are you serious?" she hissed softly. "You...I can't believe-"

"What?" Richard spat back. "You left me. It's been years since you did. What, am I not entitled to move on?"

Barbara stared back at Richard. There was hurt in her eyes. Richard suddenly regretted saying what he said. "You...moved on?"

Richard sighed. He ran his hands through his hair, then released a deep breath. "Barbara," he started, "I...it's not what it looks like. We're not sleeping together. Even if we were, though, it shouldn't be your place to judge at all."

Barbara bit her lip, glancing away from Richard. She nodded softly. "I guess you're right," she said quietly. "It's just…" she trailed off, then scoffed. "It's nice to see that you have a type."

Richard shook his head. "I'm telling you, it's not like that."

"Dick, she's wearing your underwear. Don't tell me it isn't like that. She's in your bedroom, half naked, & you-"

"I could explain exactly what is going on with her if you'd just give me a goddamn second!" Richard hissed back finally. Barbara fell silent, taken aback by Richard's sudden aggression. He groaned, feeling worse & worse by each passing minute. He wasn't sure why he was getting frustrated. Barbara coming back...it just complicated things.

Richard leaned back against the back of his couch, sighing deeply. "I don't know where to start," he breathed. Richard searched for the right way to explain everything.

Barbara's eyes trailed back behind Richard's shoulder. Her blue eyes widened at what she saw. "Dick," she muttered, wheeling her chair up past the couch, towards the balcony doors.

Richard shut his eyes tightly, totally forgetting that he had a lot of work up on the glass doors. Richard bit his lip, then turned around, watching her gaze up at the doors. "I...I guess I could start there."

Barbara turned to Richard, who began making his way towards the markings & photographs on the glass wall. "Dick, what the hell is this?" she asked.

Richard sighed, crossing his arms. "It's, um, a timeline," he answered bluntly. Barbara stared blankly at Richard, causing him to refine his answer. "Well...it's actually two timelines. One of my life, & one that I'm living now."

Barbara stared back at Richard, still unsure of what he was trying to say. "What?"

Richard sighed, then rubbed his face with his hands again. He didn't realize how tired he really was. "Okay," he started, "you...you know, before I was with Nolan Drake in Old Gotham, I was at an orphanage, right?"

Barbara nodded. "Yeah, Dick, you...you did mention that," she said softly.

"Right, well...Cheyenne was there too, with me. We...we grew up together. We were friends." Richard caught himself before he said anymore. He saw Barbara's eyes slowly grow sadder, as though the idea of someone else in Richard's life before her somehow hurt. Richard sighed. "After I came back to Gotham, after escaping the Underground, one of the first things I did was try to track Cheyenne down again. She was adopted by some foster family, but she ran away. I found her out in Chinatown with Rachel & Kori."

"Raven & Starfire," Barbara nodded. "From the team you formed, right?"

Richard nodded solemnly. "Yeah, them," he said softly. "They were all living together on the streets, but...there was a fire. Cheyenne died."

"Oh," Barbara said softly. She glanced down at her feet & continued to wear a sad look on her face. Anyone would react this way in any circumstance in which someone died. However, this shouldn't be the case.

Richard knelt down in front of Barbara & leaned close, whispering softly. "Barbara, Cheyenne is in my bedroom right now. She isn't dead."

Barbara looked up at Richard. "Wait, but-"

"Not a clone, not a shapeshifting alien, not a zombie, nothing crazy like that. She's just...here. Rachel insists that she died that night, but, she didn't."

Barbara nodded. "Okay, so, what happened then?"

Richard shrugged. "At first, I didn't know. I brought her up to the Watchtower, & Bruce was of no help, as always. Clark was kind, but, none of it mattered until the Flash showed up."

"The Flash?" Barbara asked.

Richard nodded. "A guy, Barry Allen, with the ability to run fast. Like, really fast. He knew something was up Cheyenne, & he freaked out & left the Watchtower. So I tracked him down to Central City. But...the Barry Allen I found was a completely different man, yet, he was the Flash. He just wasn't...the Flash I knew up in the Watchtower."

Barbara arched her eyebrow, then glanced back up at the timelines on the wall. She sighed, then shook her head. "I'm sorry Richard, I'm lost again."

Richard nodded. "Yeah, I know! It doesn't make any sense! Like, there's two of them! One is a veteran, who's maybe as old as Bruce, & the other is a small skinny dude! One leaves, & another one suddenly appears!" Richard placed his hands on the timelines on the wall. "This is where it gets interesting." Richard indicated to the timeline that represented the effects caused by Flashpoint. "This Flash did a thing where he traveled back in time to prevent the death of his mother. By doing so, he created an alternate reality where everything was different. He then tried to fix it, restoring the timeline to how it originally was before he saved his mother, but things changed apparently. This shows the changes that happened." Richard turned back to the wall, listing out several changes. "One of the guys the Flash knew had a brother. Apparently, he used to be alive before the Flash changed time, & now he's dead. I have a dead girl who's now alive in my bedroom. Roy Harper doesn't know who I am, or who any of the Titans are. Billy Batson doesn't exist anymore! The Justice League now has some dude named Hal Jordan!"

Barbara stared up at Richard with a look of disappointment in her eyes. She clearly didn't believe Richard at all, he could tell. He wanted her to believe him, though. Somebody had to. "Dick...when was the last time you've slept?"

Richard opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly thought about it. He really hadn't gone to sleep in a while...or had he? "What day is it?" Richard asked. Barbara just stared back at Richard, continuing her gaze of disappointment. Richard bit his lip. "I, uh...I think it might have been four days."

Barbara sighed, shaking her head. "Dick," she said softly.

Richard rubbed his eyes. "It's fine, Babs. I don't need downtime."

Barbara turned her gaze back to the timelines, ignoring Richard's remark. After a moment, she wheeled herself closer to the wall & began actually reading the markings on the timelines, taking note of each detail. Richard watched as she read the content, then reached for her glasses & adjusted them on her face. However, after a second, Richard heard a loud clicking sound. It came from Barbara.

"What the hell?" Richard muttered, arching his eyebrow at Barbara.

Barbara's cheeks flushed red, & she took her glasses off her face & inspected them. "Oops," she said softly.

Richard yanked the glasses from Barbara's hands & began inspecting them himself. It took him almost no time at all to find the small camera lens within the frame of the glasses. He tossed them back to Barbara & groaned. "You're spying on me, Barbara? Really?"

Barbara bit her lip. "Richard, Bruce asked me to."

"Oh, for God's sake, Bruce made you come here?"

"He said something was wrong with you!" Barbara cried. "He said you broke into the Watchtower & nearly killed the entire League! He...he said you pulled Kryptonite on Clark, Dick."

Richard crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. "And here I thought you were actually worried about me."

"Bruce was worried about you, Dick," Barbara explained. "He never asks us for anything. Never! But...he said that when he saw you that day, the way you were...he said he almost didn't recognize you. He was scared, Dick. And...I won't lie, so am I."

Richard scoffed. "What, so you two think I'm going crazy or something?" Richard asked. He tightened his fists in frustration. "Bruce is the one who lost his damn mind, not me."

Barbara shook her head softly. "Dick...it's not like that. I'm here because Bruce cares about you. I'm here because I care about you, too." Barbara wheeled closer towards Richard, looking up at him. As she got closer, he felt himself grow more vulnerable near here, despite her short height compared to him. Just Barbara in close proximity, at the very moment where he felt his grip on reality slipping, made him feel more broken & shattered than ever. "I don't know if what you're saying makes sense, but...I'm still here for you, Dick. You haven't lost everybody."

Richard nodded slowly, feeling tears well up in his eyes. Barbara reached out towards him, allowing him to let his upper body fall down towards her. He knelt down in front of her & hugged her tightly, crying softly on Barbara's shoulders. Richard was way out of his depth; he hadn't realized how far gone he was & how lost he really felt. Barbara's arms felt warm, though, & welcoming. Despite it being somewhat wrong, it was right. It felt familiar. Barbara was someone who Richard had, at one point, lost for good, but she was here now. She was the familiar face that he needed. She was the familiar, natural face that was here for Richard, without any fault from the alterations to time.

Barbara pulled away slowly & glanced back up at the timelines on the glass doors. She sighed softly. "So...the Flash went back in time...to save his mother?" she asked out loud. Richard nodded softly, & Barbara continued. "I mean...I don't get it. Time traveling & changing history...how do some people become affected, but some people don't?" Barbara bit her lip, rubbing her hands on her numb thighs. "If changing time can bring back your old friend...why couldn't he bring my legs back?"

Richard bowed his head low, understanding where Barbara was coming from. The man had the ability to alter time & reality, but, who was to say which people in the world would be blessed with the return of a loved one, or who would lose one? Who was to say which normal civilians would be granted abilities, or who would be disabled? There was no true logic behind it, & the uncertainty of it is what made Richard feel lost. Richard was lost, & now, so was Barbara.

Richard knelt down beside Barbara & rested his head on Barbara's thigh. Sleep was slowly starting to creep up on Richard, his drowsiness to cause his eyelids to grow heavier & heavier. Eventually, Barbara's soft hand running through his hair caused him to finally fall asleep.


	11. Chapter 11: The Sightings

**Chpt. XI: The Sightings**

Richard flipped the pancake over on the pan, allowing it to sizzle & fully fry as he began shaking the bacon on the second pan that he left sitting on his stove. He watched as the bacon grease bubbled, hissing in the heat. He then continued to flip the pancake a few more times, then added it to the large mound of pancakes he had already created. He set the plate of pancakes aside, then grabbed a clean plate & placed a paper towel over the plate. He took the bacon & shook them a few times, then carefully slid the piece of bacon onto the paper towel covered plate. He watched as the paper towel soaked up the bacon grease. He refused to gain extra carbs when he could easily avoid it with techniques such as this one.

Richard took the two plates & placed them on the center of a small kitchen table that he had set up by the even smaller kitchen. He watched as Cheyenne's eyes brightened with excitement & pure joy. "Wow," Cheyenne gasped, "I don't remember the last time I had pancakes."

Richard laughed softly. "Whenever that was, I know they weren't as good as mine," he remarked with a grin.

Richard & Cheyenne began picking out pancakes & bits of bacon from the central plates, then began devouring the breakfast he had just cooked. Richard reached for a bottle of syrup, & began pouring the syrup on the pancakes. He then handed the bottle to Cheyenne, who served herself more syrup than she should've.

The two had managed to make good use of the time that they had spent together. Richard was slowly coming to terms with the revelation about the altered timeline. After a while, Richard came to the conclusion that he had, in fact, finally gotten a new life. Even more than that; he had gotten the life he had always wanted. From the moment he stepped out of Old Gotham, escaping Nolan Drake's tyranny, a new life was all that he had wanted, & the first thing he did to prepare for this was search for Cheyenne. After all these years, after losing her the first time, Richard had finally found Cheyenne again. He should just be grateful.

Of course, the two had to get used to living together. The two slept in the same bed, but managed to restrain themselves from having sex. Richard & Cheyenne weren't lovers, but, people who loved each other. Richard knew that the two weren't in love with one another, because...that's something that requires complete & utter certainty. Richard knew what it felt like to be in love, but, this was different. Richard loved Cheyenne, loved her personality, & her company. Cheyenne loved Richard, him walking around shirtless, & his cooking. That was good enough.

What she didn't like, however, was him leaving at late hours of the night. Of course, Cheyenne had no reason to believe he was doing anything wrong. Despite them not being an official couple, he knew it wasn't her place to think he was over at a girl's house sleeping with someone else. He wasn't. Richard was out, fighting crime as Nightwing. He had told Cheyenne about his vigilante life as Nightwing, but despite his confidence in himself to always come back home, Cheyenne feared that he, one night, might not come back home. Richard swore that he'd never let that happen.

Of course, Richard swore a lot of things to Cheyenne. For example, the dinner table they sat on, was something he swore he'd buy for Cheyenne & him. Of course, he really hadn't expected that he'd ever need one. Richard didn't have company often, & even then, he most certainly never cooked for anyone other than himself. He normally just ate on his couch alone. He kept to himself in Blüdhaven, but now, he wasn't alone. Richard had Cheyenne.

Richard had also swore to Cheyenne that he'd install a nice flat screen television in the living room. What he hadn't expected to see was the coverage that came on the news that morning.

Richard turned to the television at the sound of "Central City". His interest had peaked even more when the Blüdhaven reporter began to speak. " _The government officials that are currently at the scene of this mysterious object that crashed in downtown Central City late last night was merely a DOD aircraft on a routine training operation."_

Cheyenne noticed the news report as well, then turned to Richard. "That doesn't sound right," she said softly.

Richard chewed his food slowly, then finally swallowed. "It really doesn't, no." Richard considered the possibilities of this being something else entirely. Richard thought back to the aliens he had met. So far, nobody was ever hostile. No one ever crashed landed on Earth. Kori came in peace, along with Superman & M'gann, all those years ago. However, with all that has happened lately, Richard couldn't be too sure. This sounded exactly what he was afraid it sounded like.

"It's not...aliens, is it?" Cheyenne finally asked.

Richard sighed. "You know, it could very well be aliens," he answered honestly.

Cheyenne looked down at her plate nervously. Richard, suddenly feeling a sense of anxiety rushing up in his chest, stared straight at the television, allowing the words of the Blüdhaven news reporter to soak into his head. " _Nothing to worry about." "Everything is fine." "Details will be revealed soon."_

Richard had no reason to worry, but, he was panicking. Something in his mind caused him to fear what imminent threat was coming.

With that lingering thought in his head, Richard stood up from his chair & made his way to his sofa, where he had his laptop lying on. He opened up his laptop & began his research. He knew he had heard something recently, something similar to what was on the news in Central City. Something else strange had occurred, & Richard expected that the two events were connected for sure.

Richard searched up recent articles about "DOD aircrafts" crashing in nearby cities. As it turns out, Jump City was victim to another mysterious object that crashed from the sky. Government officials had also deduced this as another Department of Defense aircraft. Richard shook his head. The writer of this specific article had challenged the readers into considering the possibility that the aircraft was, in fact, an unidentified flying object.

Richard thought about Jump City, which is where Richard had initially kept the Titans unit's operations. This was also a city that the League had control over, back before when Richard was still a League member. Things were now different, however. The League could handle this, even if it really was aliens.

Richard grabbed his cell phone & called Bruce, despite all desire to do so. A potential alien invasion would suffice as a big enough emergency to call the Batman. Richard waited for the phone call to finish ringing, expecting the man to pick up the phone. However, the line eventually beeped, then went dead. Richard sighed, then called Bruce a second time. After no answer, Richard began to panic. He didn't have any of the other League member's numbers. He did, however, have Alfred Pennyworth's number. He decided to call the one man who would have any idea where Bruce Wayne was.

Richard phoned the butler, feeling his heart race rapidly. He tapped his foot anxiously, then gasped when he heard a voice. " _Master Grayson."_ the familiar British man's voice called out.

Richard sighed in relief. "Hey, Al," he said. "I need you to do me a favor."

" _Anything,"_ Alfred said.

"I need you to get me in touch with Bruce. He's not answering the phone."

Alfred sighed softly. " _Richard, I apologize. Bruce went on a mission several hours ago with the rest of the Justice League. He didn't leave any indication as to where they went, but, he said it was important."_

Richard kicked his sofa in frustration. "What the hell! He's gone?"

" _On a MISSION, Master Grayson,"_ Alfred emphasized. " _Don't panic. Whatever it is you need Bruce for, I assure you, you are more than capable of handling it while Batman is away."_

Richard rubbed his face with his hand. "Al, I don't know," he said in a shaky breath.

" _Richard, you shall be fine,"_ Alfred said softly. " _Remember who you are. You are you own man, one with a true sense of purpose."_

Richard let the words sink into his head. He nodded, feeling somewhat reassured. "I...thank you, Alfred."

" _Of course, Master Grayson,"_ Alfred said softly. " _Good luck."_

With that, Richard's former butler hung up on him, leaving him with the impossible decision to do something he never expected him to have to do. He was terrified more than he had ever been before, & it seemed as though this kept happening to him more & more often. Time after time, he came closer & closer to what he felt would eventually be his inevitable death.

Cheyenne had made her way over to Richard & sat down beside him, sliding her fingers within his own. "Richard, it's going to be okay," she said softly.

Richard nodded. "Yeah, you're right. It's going to be. I just...I need to get in touch with a few people."

"What?" Cheyenne asked. "What do you mean?"

Richard turned to Cheyenne. "The Justice League may or may not be working on this case, & I have no way of knowing. I have to be on top of this in case no one else is. I need to gather up my team."

"Your team?" Cheyenne said.

Richard nodded. "Yeah, there's people I can talk to. I just…" Richard sighed, his voice trailing off. "I know who I need. I just need to find one kid again." Richard began examining his cell phone contacts, scrolling through the letters. _G, H, I, J._

"Who?" Cheyenne asked.

Richard clicked on the cell phone contact & called, waiting for the line to pick up. Richard was surprised at how fast the other end answered.

" _Nightwing,"_ Jaime Reyes said on the other line. " _I was going to call you first."_

"Why?" Richard asked.

" _It's the Scarab. It's acting out again. He's...calling out your name."_


	12. Chapter 12: The Team

**Chpt. XII: The Team**

Richard sighed, examining the dark caverns by the beach in D.C. He was unsure of whether this was the smartest decision he had made. However, seeing as the League's control over their sectors in Jump City may or may not have been compromised, having the team meet up in another location that was efficient enough as a operating base was still crucial. Richard happened to come across the caverns a few years ago, before the Titans were established by the League. These caverns served as the Justice League's original base, back before they had created the Watchtower over the Hall of Justice. Richard knew that his people would get the coordinates & come on alert, with the sudden events that were now taking place.

Richard shook his head. Central City was now under threat as well. If that was the case, Barry Allen had some problems on his hands. The poor man was too small to be able to fight off any alien. However, the Green Arrow may be of some assistance. Richard considered calling him, but, decided on getting Roy's help. Richard let him know what was going on, & that despite not knowing Richard personally anymore, Roy would most likely come to D.C. to help with the threat.

Richard bit his lip nervously as he managed to find a small computer dashboard that was placed towards the center of the large caverns. Richard pressed several buttons before finding the power switch. Richard flipped it, illuminating the vast open caves. Richard smiled softly in admiration. He now had the base. Now he only needed the team.

Richard sat at the dashboard of the computer, going over the intel he had gathered within the last few hours of the Central City crash landing. As he did so, he felt a presence looming over him. Richard quickly spun around, reaching for a winglet that he carried in his compressed utility belt under his t-shirt. He found Conner Kent hovering over Richard, smiling faintly at him. He wore his black t-shirt & blue jeans, looking as though he wasn't a clone of Superman.

"Hey," Conner said softly.

Richard gasped. "Hey, Conner," he breathed. "You scared the hell out of me, I won't lie."

Conner nodded, floating down to the ground. "Yeah, sorry about that."

Richard looked up at Conner, who was still a few inches taller than Richard himself. It had been several years since he last saw Conner. In fact, he hadn't seen him since they put Slade Wilson back on Lian Yu. Richard sighed softly. "How are your studies?" he asked awkwardly.

Conner nodded. "I mean, they're okay," he said. "Studying journalism & astronomy."

"Wow, really?" Richard asked in genuine interest.

Conner shrugged. "Well, yeah, why not get a double major? I figured journalism would be interesting, going out & getting stories about the world. Astronomy gets me excited because it's the closest I'm probably ever going to get to the stars."

Richard nodded, smiling up at the young man. He was technically less than 10 years old, having been an experiment born out of Cadmus's test tubes, but he was very mature. He had grown up a lot since Richard had rescued him from the labs. Conner was shy & nervous of the whole world, without a name or a mind of his own. Now, Conner was so much like Clark, & the young man didn't even realize it. The two trained together for a brief period of time, before Clark felt as though training a young Superman would pose as a liability in the case that one of them goes rogue. All Conner ever wanted was a sense of identity, & Clark gave that to him. However, with Superman leaving Conner's life, all he had were a few college courses to remind him of what it was like to be a Kryptonian on another planet, working as a journalist. It broke Conner's heart, losing Clark...but probably not as much as him losing M'gann, & losing trust in Richard.

Richard smiled softly, extending his hand out to Conner. "I'm really glad you're back," he said.

Conner stared at Richard's hand, then bit his lip. His eyes were pierced sharp, as though heat vision could hiss out & zap Richard at any given moment. Conner slowly brought his right hand up to RIchard's & shook his hand. "I'm here because you said something bad was happening," he said bruntly.

Just as Richard was about to explain, Richard heard soft footsteps echo within the caves. Richard turned to spot a familiar young boy, much younger than Conner & Richard, with a red windbreaker & brown shaggy hair. Richard smiled at the young prodigy. "Tim," he called out.

Tim Drake waved his hand, slowly approaching the two. "Yo, Richard, you have any idea how much an über is from Gotham to D.C.? Like, no thank you, let me just get one of Bruce's drivers, thanks!"

Richard sighed. "I could've picked you up on the way here," he reminded the young Robin.

Tim shrugged, finally making his way to Richard & Conner. "No, it's cool. I wanted to say goodbye to Stephanie before going on another 'road trip' with Dick Grayson."

Richard nodded. "Fair enough," he said. He turned to Conner. "Conner, I'd like you to meet Tim Drake. He's training alongside Batman as Robin."

Tim smiled up at Conner, extending his hand. "Pleasure to finally meet the Superboy. I've heard amazing stories stories about you."

Conner smiled at Tim & shook his hand. Tim cried out & yanked his hand in pain. "Whoa! Handshake of steel, huh?"

Conner sighed, shaking his head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I'm still working on that."

"What happens when someone else shakes your hand, dude?"

"I don't. I tell people I'm a germaphobe."

Tim snickered at that, then let out a loud howl of a laugh. "Oh, man, that's funny."

Richard leaned close to Tim, speaking in a low voice. "Did you manage to get in contact with our mutual friend with the red helmet?" he asked Tim.

Tim sighed frustratedly. "I did, but…" Tim shook his head. "He says he's not a hero, Dick. He doesn't think we want his help. The Red Hood is sitting this one out."

Richard nodded in disappointment. He really hoped he could get all the help he could get, but it started to feel as though they were much more limited than he previously expected. He knew it would be an issue convincing maybe a few of the former Titans to reunite here, but, he hadn't expected almost all of them to not show up. Richard really needed them. Not only him, but the rest of the world may potentially need Richard's team.

Just then, Richard heard a loud voice echo down the other end of the cave. "Boom, baby!" cried a familiar voice.

Richard felt himself laugh suddenly at the familiar voice. He recognized the goofy boy's voice. "Logan!" Richard called back.

Richard finally caught sight of the green skinned young boy, however, for some strange reason, he wore a black & purple uniform. It was high-tech, making Richard second guess his own Nightwing armor. Garfield Logan was followed by Victor Stone, the larger black man built like a linebacker. Richard took notice of the large black leather jacket that Victor wore, somehow managing to fit over his cybernetic limbs. His clothes fit him well, but, there was no article of clothing he was able to wear to cover up his metallic face plate over one side of his face.

Richard smiled as the two approached Richard. "What's up, Vic?" Richard said, greeting the former comrade.

"Nice to see you again," Victor said in a cool manner. The two shook hands for a moment, & Richard patted Victor on the back as Logan knuckle bumped Richard.

As soon as he greeted them, he caught sight of a tall, tan redhead with sparkling green eyes. She wore a short purple crop top with a pair of tight jeans. Richard smiled at Koriand'r as Rachel followed behind with a girl with jet black hair wearing a white button up with a black blazer. Richard smiled at the fact that the two managed to bring Zatanna Zatara too. He had requested that Rachel get in touch with her, but, he didn't expect her to bring her. Things were suddenly looking up.

Richard turned to Tim. "I think I can get started, now," he said.

Tim nodded, standing aside next to the group. Conner, Tim, Victor, Logan, Rachel, Kori, & Zatanna all stood facing Richard as he began to display images from the news segments covering the Central City incident. "Alright, guys, I know you all are wondering why I called you here tonight. There's a threat that we need to prepare for. I have reason to believe that it's a much more serious matter than I would've hoped. The Justice League has either tackled this problem head on, or they have gone M.I.A., because since these reports have surfaced on the media, I haven't be able to get into contact with anyone in the League."

Richard began stepping closer to the group, glancing at each one individually. "That's why you all are here right now. With the world seemingly defenseless, we may need to step up & handle this ourselves."

Logan crossed his arms, nodding towards the computer screens. "Dick, what are you asking us to do?"

Richard bit his lip, then turned to the computer screens. He sighed, turning back to Logan. "There's evidence suggesting that this is an alien invasion being covered up."

The group was suddenly quiet. Everyone gave awkward glances to Koriand'r, who blushed in embarrassment. She looked up at Richard with worried eyes. "If these are aliens...would there be a way to find out if they came in peace or not?"

Richard shook his head. "I highly doubt it," Richard admitted. He turned to the computer & played a video clip from the Jump City crash landing. It was cell phone footage, & the quality was poor, but the scene was still visible. "What you're seeing here is Jump City's incident, days before Central City's landing last night." The video showed the camera shaking in the amatuer videographer's hand in fear. The video revealed a large space ship with jagged edges & curved blades. The exterior opened up, revealing tall, skeletal humanoid beings exiting the vehicle. They ran fast, like a herd of deer, & hissed like vicious beasts. These grey monsters zipped passed the camera, causing the civilian who took the video to drop the phone, then the video stopped, showing nothing but static. Richard sighed softly. "Kori, I don't know if you can recognize this species at all, but...this is not a warm welcome."

Kori's eyes were watery as she stared at the computer screen. Richard could tell that he had shocked her, truly frightening her with the footage. He felt bad, putting this sudden weight on the team, but he was desperate. He could not do this alone.

Rachel slid her hand within Kori's hand brought Kori closer, hugging her tight. Kori shook within Rachel's arms as Rachel rubbed her back. Everyone else shifted uncomfortably, after having just witnessed the haunting footage. Tim began picking his fingernails nervously. Zatanna glanced down at her feet, hiding her trembling lips. The only one who didn't seem nervous was Victor. In fact, he seemed more pissed rather than scared.

Victor cleared his throat, then lifted his robotic hand up. "Excuse me, can I ask a question?"

Richard nodded. "Please," Richard said.

Victor put his hand down, then crossed his large, muscular arms. The gears whirred & whistled as he moved his joints, but finally, he spoke. "I think I speak for most of us here right now when I say that we are only here because you mentioned a 'threat'. None of us trust you, man. At least, I sure as hell don't."

Richard noticed Tim stepping away, suddenly not wanting to take part in the meeting. Richard sighed, nodding. "I know, Vic. Rachel & I had this talk-"

"Well, good for you, man! You hashed things out with the goth one, now, how about you explain yourself to the rest of us, huh?" Victor's fist clenched over his bicep. He glanced to Rachel, who had pulled herself away from Kori, then Victor turned back to Richard. "Actually, I remember what you told us that night, after sending Deathstroke to Lian Yu. You said 'it was for the sake of the mission.' Some twisted logic right there, man. Some whack ass Batman prodigal son lesson, am I right? Well, not all of us trained with the Batman. Not all of us grew up under the roof of that mansion. We weren't fed the same bull that he fed you!"

Victor brought his hand up to his chest. "How am I going to go out into the field again without wondering whether or not Dick Grayson is going to ghost on my ass? How do I know you won't pull another stunt like that 'for the sake of the mission', huh?" Suddenly, Victor's voice got very quiet. "How do I know you won't sacrifice one of us doing this, Dick?"

Logan stepped forward, placing a calm hand on Victor's shoulder. "Vic, man, take it easy."

Victor shrugged Logan's hand off of his shoulder. "No, Garf, you know I got a point." He pointed a finger at Richard angrily. "This scumbag was willing to join the enemy lines & kiss their ass for months before revealing his plan to us. I will not follow another leader who would rather lie to his own friends than trust his own team with a mission."

Suddenly, the caves were silent. The echoing of Victor's yelling took a few moments to fade away, & when it did, the silence hung over everyone's head. It felt as though the air was glass. One false movement, one sudden twitch of a finger, & the world would shatter. Richard breathed slowly, almost not wanting to risk making a sound.

Tim stepped up towards Richard, then turned to face the rest of the group. "Hi. My name is Tim. I, uh...I'm currently training under the Batman as the new Robin." He gestured to the group with a faint smile on his face. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the former members of the Titans group. I grew up hearing about Robin training with you, fighting with you, & I thought it was the coolest thing. I never thought I'd get to be standing here, working alongside the Titans unit as Robin."

The group remained silent, staring at Tim. Richard nudged Tim to step away, but the Boy Wonder waved Richard off. "I know some stuff went down with you guys. I know Richard made a mistake. Believe me, it's not the first time. He IS trying, though. He's trying to not be like the Batman. He knows his flaws & his faults, & that's why he left Gotham to become Nightwing. He's trying to follow his own code, his own moral compass. He's following his sense of right & wrong without letting the Batman cloud his judgement. Richard is a good man. Sometimes, he makes it difficult to see that." Tim glanced at Richard. "Just last week, he lied to me about a mission he had in Star City."

Richard shut his eyes in frustration & sighed. The young boy continued. "Richard clued me in, eventually. It didn't take long." Tim bit his lip. "Well, actually, I had caught him in his lie, like, within hours of being in the city, but it's okay. Richard made the choice that he knew, in the end, was right. Dick is not the Batman. He's not like that anymore. He's changing for the better." Tim turned to Richard & patted him on his back. "I'd trust this dude with my life, & so should you."

The group all glanced at one another after the young boy gave his speech to the former Titans. It seemed as though he had gotten through to them somewhat, if at all. Richard smiled softly as Tim nodded, then moved away from the front of the group. "Thanks for that, Tim," Richard said. He opened his mouth to speak when he saw a familiar man walking into the caverns. He struggled to get a good look at him, but, he recognized the red quiver on his back, & the long bow he held in his hand. His red sleeveless armor shook softly as he approached the Titans.

"Roy?" Richard called out, causing the rest of the Titans to turn their heads at the sound of their former teammate's name.

Roy nodded. "I remember now," he called out.

Richard arched his eyebrow confusedly at the archer. Roy stepped past Victor & Logan, approaching Richard. "Dick, I remember it all." He set his bow down on the table & sighed. "I remember meeting you outside of the GCPD. I remember tracking down Cheyenne Freemont with you, finding Koriand'r & Rachel down in Chinatown. I remember Constantine, & I remember breaking into Cadmus. I remember Nolan Drake, & Cobblepot with his Russians. I even remember my own brother, Dick. I...I don't know how. Just a few days ago, these thoughts have never been my head, but all of a sudden, I have these memories of a whole other life. It's like...I don't know, it's like I woke up from a dream."

Richard took a deep breath, sighing softly. "I'm glad to have you back, Roy," Richard said softly, patting his best friend on the back.

Roy nodded, turning to the group. "I wasn't sure what was happening, but I got a gut feeling to show up when you told me too. It looks like this is serious."

Just as Richard opened his mouth to speak, he heard something echoing within the cave. The group got silent as they tried to pinpoint the noise. It sounded familiar, like tiny wheels rolling across a pavement. Richard scanned the area to find a young boy in a hoodie riding a skateboard into the cave. Richard sighed softly. This was the man of the hour.

The skater skidded to a stop on his board, glancing around at the team. "Whoa," he said softly. "This...is not what I expected."

Richard nodded towards the young boy, walking over to him slowly. "Everyone, this is Jaime Reyes. Jaime, these are the Titans."

Jaime nodded, smiling at the group nervously. "Hey, everyone."

Victor & Logan each nodded at the boy, while Kori waved happily. Rachel stared at the boy coldly while Zatanna smiled seductively at Jaime, as she normally did. Conner glanced down at his feet awkwardly, while Tim walked up to the boy & actually shook his hand. "Hey there. I'm Tim."

Jaime shook his hand, but tilted his head to the side slightly, as though paying attention to a soft whisper. He nodded, turning back to Tim. "Robin, am I right?"

Tim's eyes widened in surprise. He turned to Richard nervously, then glanced back at Jaime. "Yeah, that's me."

Jaime nodded, then turned to Richard. "Nightwing, I remember you." Jaime glanced between Tim & Richard. "There's supposed to be a third one of y'all, isn't there?"

Richard bit his lip softly, crossing him arms. Tim glanced away from Jaime. Richard cleared his throat. "He's not here," Richard said sternly.

Jaime groaned. "Well, I know that, esé." Jaime pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "This guy doesn't like that," he muttered. He then turned around, facing the group. He began counting off each person standing before him, starting from the left. "Arsenal, Superboy, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Zatanna…" Jaime's voice trailed off, leaving a dumbfounded look on his face. It seemed as though he was missing something.

Logan cleared his voice. "Actually, it's Changeling. I was GONNA go with Beast Boy, but some people didn't like it," he said, nodding his head towards Victor. The large cyborg rolled his eyes.

Jaime shook his head, turning back to Richard. "Hermano, where's the rest?"

Richard blinked. "What?"

Jaime shrugged. "You're missing more people, man. The Scarab says that there should be more of you guys. Like, there's another archer, but she's a girl. Then there's a speedster, right? Where is he?"

Richard scoffed. "Kid, these is the Titans. We've never had any more than this."

Logan raised his hand. "Am I the only one who wants to know who the Scarab is?"

The group began to mutter among themselves, each wanting to know who exactly this Scarab was. Jaime groaned, unzipping his hoodie, then sliding it off of his body. He pulled his shirt off, releasing a deep breath.

"We ain't rolling like that, son," Victor called out.

Jaime turned to Victor & crossed his arms. "Don't worry, man. I'm keeping it hot in here for some of y'all."

The young boy managed to make Rachel, of all people, snicker in a soft laughter. Zatanna & Kori glanced at the dark haired girl in shock. Logan noticed this, then turned to Jaime. "Yo, 'hermano', that's my babe. Back off."

Jaime scoffed at Logan &, just before he could respond, he noticed Tim slowly approaching Jaime from behind. He was staring at the base of his neck. "What the hell?" Tim said softly.

Jaime sighed deeply, reaching over his shoulder to softly tap the blue shimmering gem embedded in his skin. It resembled a beetle. "Yeah, this is the Scarab. It's, like, sentient or something. It's been crying out to me for about three months now."

Richard thought about this. Three months ago was how long the Flash was in Flashpoint for. Did he...the Scarab...know what Barry Allen did? Could he sense it?

Jaime tilted his head to the side. "No, I won't ask them that."

"Ask us what?" Tim said.

Jaime sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "He wants me to find out which one of you brought the Dominators down to Earth."

"Dominators?" Victor asked.

Jaime turned back to Cyborg, nodding. "The suspicious 'military aircrafts' that landed in Jump City & Central City, those are UFOs for sure. The species that have invaded are known as the Dominators."

Zatanna stepped forward, crossing her arms. She nodded towards the young hispanic boy. "And...this thing on your back, it knows all of this?"

Jaime nodded. "It's sentient. Apparently it's of alien origin, but, I'm really not sure. It talks to me & protects me. It's a little annoying, though. Like, an obnoxious Jiminy Cricket."

The group all glanced at one another awkwardly. Richard sighed, stepping forward. "Okay, Reyes. I called you here because I know your Scarab knows things that could help us. Is it willing to help?"

Jaime turned to Richard & shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said softly. "The Scarab is saying you need specific people in order to do this. There's...there's an order that needs to be followed when doing this."

"An order?" Richard asked.

Jaime nodded. "There are specific people that are meant to be in this battle. Wally West, Evelyn Sharp, & a Megan Morse." After a brief moment, Jaime tilted his head, listening to another whisper from the Scarab. "Nope, sorry. M'gann M'orzz," he repeated. He then arched his eyebrow confusedly. "Didn't I say that?" he asked himself.

Richard caught sight of Conner. His face turned pale at the sound of the Martian's name. Jaime expected them to fight a horde of aliens with her, but, he didn't know what happened to her. Richard cleared his throat. "M'gann is...she isn't with us anymore."

Jaime sighed. "Well, damn, you're missing the Martian. Do you think you can get the other two though?"

Richard scoffed, shrugging his shoulders. "I've never met a Wally or an Evelyn."

Just as Richard felt his head grow light & his hands numb from anxiety, Jaime tilted his head once more, taking note of something the Scarab was telling him & only him. Richard arched his eyebrow, noticing the confusion that washed over Jaime's face. Richard stepped closer to the young boy, somehow hoping to hear whatever the blue beetle was telling him.

Jaime finally turned to Richard. "The Scarab says that we aren't meant to fight in this battle, at least not yet. But, he's saying that with the new effects of the 'Flashpoint' or whatever, you can now find Wally West & Evelyn Sharp. As for Megan, you're going to find her on 'Earth-38', if that means anything to you."

Richard stared at the boy in shock. Flashpoint had changed a lot more than he had expected. Suddenly, there were people that Richard had no idea even existed that posed as potential allies. This was looking better than expected. But...the Scarab said it wasn't their fight.

"Wait, why aren't you helping?" Conner asked suddenly.

Jaime turned to the cloned Kryptonian & sighed. "I really don't know. To be honest, this Scarab is the thing that's giving all of the orders. It knows what to do, & how to do it, & I'm not gonna question it."

"Sounds like you're just trying to weasel your way out of a battle, to be honest," Victor called out.

The group began to bicker about whether or not Jaime's allegiance lied with the Titans or not. This wasn't something Richard was paying attention to, though. He was trying to see what he would do about M'gann. According to the Scarab, M'gann was on Earth-38. What did that even mean? Richard thought back to all that he knew. He recalled Barry Allen explaining to him the theory of multiple earths existing as parallel universes. Barry had mentioned 52 variations of Earth in this "multiverse". Maybe one of these earths, Earth-38, was the one where M'gann M'orzz was alive in.

It was just like Barry's Flashpoint, where his mother was alive. How many different variations & alternate timelines would there be where Richard's parents were alive?

Richard cleared his throat, causing the group to quiet down. "Okay. We need to get these other guys. Wally, Evelyn, & M'gann." He turned to Jaime. "You're saying M'gann is in an alternate universe. Any idea of how to get there?"

"Interdimensional portal," Rachel muttered suddenly, causing everyone to glance over at her. She had been quiet for a long time, but finally, Rachel spoke. She shrugged. "It's not hard."

Roy nodded, pointing over at Rachel. "Yeah, she did that before, when we broke into Cadmus," he called out. "Man, that was weird!"

Richard nodded, grinning to himself softly. He recalled having experienced that with Rachel & Roy all those years ago. It was crazy, thinking back to how long this group of people had been active together. Despite having a few years off, it really did make Richard happy to be back with them. It almost made Richard forget the imminent threat that they were about to face. "So," Richard called out to Rachel, "you can do one of those teleports to another Earth?"

Rachel nodded, turning towards Zatanna. "With enough power, I think we could make it work," she said as Zatanna nodded in agreement.

Richard nodded. He sighed, turning to the group. "Okay, then that just leaves Wally West & Evelyn Sharp."

Jaime nodded, pointing up at his head. "Yeah, the Scarab says Wally West is over at Central City, & Evelyn Sharp is in Star City."

Richard bit his lip. "That's vague, but, okay." He pointed a stern finger at Jaime. "Try & get more details, Reyes, okay?"

Jaime nodded as Richard stepped up towards the group. "Okay, Roy & Tim, we're going to find this Evelyn girl together." Richard nodded towards Logan & Victor. "On our way back, Victor & Logan can help me track down Wally West." Richard then turned to Rachel & Zatanna. "I'll come with you too to find M'gann."

The Titans all nodded in agreement, seemingly prepared for this battle. Richard nodded in satisfaction. He never thought that, in any lifetime, he would be able to get the team back together. He thought he had really lost them for good, & Richard was frightened of a life without them anymore. But he finally had them back. The Titans would be ready. They were going to do this. They were going to save the world from the Dominators.


	13. Chapter 13: Sharp

**Chpt. XIII: Sharp**

Richard stepped through the dark hallways of the destroyed building. Richard felt as though he had some sort of idea as to what this place was. When Star City was under attack by Damien Darhk's men, he had been operating out of this building. It belonged to the organization known as HIVE. Richard recalled Logan & Victor taking down a unit of HIVE operators in Jump City, but he never thought the terrorist group would ever grow as large as it did when Darhk was in control of it the year before.

Roy held his bow high & steady outward, preparing for any attack. "Dick," he muttered, "I don't like this one bit."

Tim appeared behind Richard & Roy, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, this place is freaky."

Richard shushed the two as the approached the end of the dark, debris covered hallway, & entered a large, open space with dim lighting. Richard stepped down a set of stairs, revealing the futuristic room that had been dismantled, with ceiling beams thrown onto the ground & walls busted open with gaping holes in them. The roof & walls were etched with strange hexagonal lighting patterns, resembling a beehive. Richard rolled his eyes at the irony.

Down below was one punching bag that hung from a steel beam. Down below, punching the bag, was a young girl. She wore an exercising top & leggings. Her fists were wrapped up in sparring gloves, & her damp brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. Her pale skin glistened as her sweat reflected light from above. Her breathing was soft & steady, but echoed around the room.

Richard bit his lip, unsure of whether this was the person he was looking for. Jaime had eventually found more intel for Richard from the Scarab. According to them, Evelyn Sharp would be "in the darkness" when he found her, broken & bloodthirsty. Richard groaned at the fact that he was suddenly deciphering riddles from a bug. He hated riddles. He thought that it was the most ridiculous thing. Richard then thought about his situation. Aliens & time travel; it could be a lot worse.

Richard began making his way down the stairs, stepping loud enough to be noticed by the young girl below. The girl finally stopped & turned to look up at Richard. She rushed over to a tabletop & quickly strung up a bow with an arrow. "Who the hell are you?" she grunted, pointing the arrow at Richard.

Richard held his hands up defensively, then felt Tim & Roy rush to his side, both arming themselves with bows & staffs. Richard let out a whistle. "Alright, guys, let's not get hasty now. We didn't come to fight."

The young woman took a step closer, raising her bow a little higher to reach RIchard's face. "Tell your boys to stand down, then tell me how you found this place."

Richard sighed, turning to Roy & Tim. The two got the message, laying down their weapons. Richard bit his lip, feeling somewhat vulnerable. Maybe this WASN'T the person he was looking for. He would definitely need to defend himself. Richard nodded towards the young woman. "Are you Evelyn Sharp?"

The young woman glared at Richard, dropping her bow down just a few inches, still having it strung up. "Who's asking?"

Richard let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God, okay." He turned to Tim & Roy. "This is Tim Drake & Roy Harper. My name is Richard Grayson. We're part of the Titans initiative."

"The what?" Evelyn spat back. "Titans?"

Richard nodded. "Yeah, we're a group of heroes who work alongside the Justice League."

Evelyn shook her head. "Is that supposed to mean something to me?"

Richard sighed, starting to feel frustrated. Tim stepped forward. "Wait a minute," he said softly. "I...I know you."

Evelyn arched her eyebrow at Tim. Roy & Richard both turned to Tim. "What?" they all said in unision.

Tim rolled his eyes, turning to Richard. "Yeah, man, when he came to Star City a few months ago, I went sight-seeing around the city, & I ran into her, I think." Richard's blank stare caused Tim to sigh, going into more detail. "By 'sight-seeing', I mean taking down criminals, & by 'ran into her', I mean I tried to fight her."

Evelyn scoffed. "Oh, yeah, I remember you. You were the punk in the yellow cape who I handed his ass to."

Richard groaned, gesturing to Evelyn. "You fought this chick? You...LOST to this chick?"

Tim shrugged. "Man, dude, she's stronger than she looks."

Richard nodded slowly, turning to Evelyn. "That's great, because we need her."

"Wait," Evelyn started, "need me for what?"

Richard cleared his throat, stepping closer to the young girl. "The crash landing in Central City a few days ago is...something big. There was another one in Jump City. We currently have no one who is looking into this, & we may be the Earth's only hope."

Evelyn nodded slowly, setting her bow down by a table. She leaned back against the table, letting the words soak in for a moment. "Yeah...Oliver did mention that," she muttered.

"Wait, Oliver?" Roy asked, chiming in.

Evelyn turned to Roy & nodded. "You know him?"

Roy bit his lip, glancing over at Richard, then turning back to the young archer. "Yeah, I...I trained alongside him," he said softly. "I was Arsenal."

Evelyn stared intensely at Roy, as if trying to place his face with a name. Suddenly, her eyes sparked bright, as if finally remembering where she had seen Roy before. "You were the original 'Arrow'," she called, bringing up finger quotations with her hands. "The one who died in prison, right?"

Roy sighed, nodding slowly. "Yeah, that...was me." He looked back up at Evelyn & gave a soft smirk. "At least, so I've heard. After all, dying is relative."

Evelyn shook her head, glaring at Roy. "I can't believe it," she said softly. "The lies just keep on coming."

Richard sighed, disregarding the statement. Clearly, there was something bothering her, but, time was of the essence. "Evelyn, we need your help," he said. "We're going up against what could be a worldwide threat. Something that no one else is capable of handling. The League is gone, & you're our last hope."

"How?" Evelyn asked. "I'm...I'm just a girl. Tell me, what makes me so important?"

Richard let out a deep breath, glancing to Roy & Tim for cues. As if saving Richard from desperation, Tim stepped in. "Long story short, aliens are invading Earth, & so we managed to get ourselves an alien expert that lives inside of a beetle stone on the back of some dude's neck. This expert beetle has this whole intricate way of handling this invasion, & it requires certain people to help us defeat these aliens. You're one of those people."

Evelyn stared blankly at Tim. Richard rubbed his face with his hands in annoyance. The young boy may have ruined his chances of ever inducting Evelyn.

The four stood in the empty room in silence for a few moments. Finally, Evelyn spoke. "I was waiting for one of you to start laughing, saying that I just got pranked or something." Evelyn ran a hand through her hair, her arm shaking as if she had a chill. "You're...serious."

Richard nodded, holding his left hand up. "I swear, Evelyn. I swear on my mother & father's life."

Evelyn stared at Richard, eyeing him down. She slowly nodded after a moment. "I...started doing what I do...because of my parents. I'm doing it in honor of them, after Damien Darhk killed them." She looked up at Richard. "That's why you do what you do, right?"

Richard bit his lip. She was an orphan, just like him. What was it about the death of one's parents that drove someone to the brink of insanity, becoming a vigilante? Richard shook his head, feeling ashamed for having a thought like that for a moment. What he did…what others did, it wasn't crazy. They were doing this in hopes of a better world. That wasn't so crazy. Richard cleared his throat. "Yeah," he said softly. "I'm doing this for my family." Then he turned to Tim & Roy. "I'm also doing this for my brothers, here. We've fought together, & I can honestly say that these two, along with many others, are the reasons why I risk my life every night. In order to make the world a better place, one that I can live with among my friends & family, I need to do what others aren't capable of." Richard then placed a calm hand on Evelyn's shoulder. "That's why I know you'll help us. You want to see a better world, a world without killers like Damien Darhk. A world with justice."

Evelyn nodded softly. She looked up at Richard, & suddenly her eyes were watery. "Promise me something, Richard," she said. Richard nodded. Evelyn continued. "Promise me that you won't lie to me. Everything that...you are, everything that we're doing, there won't be any secrets, okay? I've been kept in the dark too long about everything, & I've just about had it with Oliver & his lies."

Richard was taken aback by Evelyn's sudden attack on Oliver. She must've been keeping this bottled up for a while if she felt the need to just open up like this. He was training her but, like every mentor, he kept secrets from her. Richard wasn't sure what kind of secrets these were, but in any case, trust was something essential for a team to work. Richard knew that the most.

Richard nodded. "You can trust me," he said softly.

Evelyn sighed. "Just...tell me upfront," she said. "Are you a killer?"

Richard's eyes opened wide from shock of the sudden question. He turned to Tim & Roy, who both looked worried at the answer that would come out of Richard's mouth. Both knew the answer, but, he wasn't sure what the RIGHT answer was.

Honesty. That's what Evelyn valued. "Yes," Richard answered. "I...I have killed."

Evelyn nodded. She stared into the eyes of Richard, as if trying to analyze his very soul. "You're willing to do what others won't," she said. "That's the kind of man I want to follow."

Richard shook his head. "Oliver is doing what he can do save his city too," he mentioned.

Evelyn scoffed. "No, that's not what I mean," she said. "You're willing to do what others won't. It's not fighting for the city, Richard. It's being honest about who you are."

The words rang in Richard's head. _It's being honest about who you are._ Richard thought about who he was. The former Flying Grayson turned orphan, finding love & losing it just as fast. The boy who was alone long enough to build up the courage to take revenge of the man who took away his happiness & his family. The boy who became a young man after seeing what Hell on Earth was like, & the young man who became the guardian angel of Gotham. But he left that life long ago. He was so broken & damaged now, that...he hardly knew who he was now. Was he still just another killer, seeking out vengeance? Or was he something else?

Evelyn held her hand out to Richard. "I'll join you guys. I'll fight alongside you."

With that, Richard nodded softly, giving her a faint smile. He shook her hand, recruiting Evelyn Sharp in the fight against the Dominators. Part of Richard feared for her life, & what he was doing. He was putting her life in danger, just like Oliver did to Laurel. Just like Bruce did to Jason…& Barbara…

Richard shook the thoughts from his head. This was not the time to be doubting everything. He had Titans to recruit.


	14. Chapter 14: Faster than Him

**Chpt. XIV: Faster than Him**

Richard drove the car with Victor in his passenger seat & Logan in the backseat, talking to the two about some gibberish involving Big Belly Burger & a horse. Richard had tuned out the young boy 20 minutes ago. He was deep in thought, considering what would happen once Richard inducted everyone that was required to fully stop the Dominators.

According to the Scarab, Evelyn Sharp was the marksman archer that he foresaw fighting alongside them in this battle, & now, they were searching for a young man who was granted the ability to run at superspeed. Richard shook his head, gazing up at the nearby Star Labs facility in Central City. The connection between this new recruit & the Flash was clear. Richard knew what was happening. Everything still led to the Flash & the things he had done to time.

"So THAT'S why I'm a vegetarian," Logan finally finished.

Victor rolled his eyes. "Interesting story, little guy. Tell it again, why don't you?"

Logan smiled smugly, pointing a finger at Victor. "That was sarcasm, wasn't it? I caught it that time."

Victor shook his head, turning to Richard. He was pulling into the empty parking lot of the facility when Victor spoke. "This kid's name is Wally?"

Richard nodded. "Wally West. According to Jaime's Scarab, he should be here."

Victor looked up at the building. "My father used to work at Star Labs," he mentioned nonchalantly.

Richard glanced over at Victor. Victor never talked about his father. This was new information to Richard. "Oh," Richard said. "What was he like?"

Victor shrugged. "I've met better men," he said, casually dissing his father.

Richard nodded softly, understanding what it was like to hate a father, or in Richard's case, a father figure. He didn't know the details of Victor's hatred towards his father, but he knew that whatever caused a rift in their relationship, it was definitely justified in Victor's pained eyes. That's all that mattered; cutting your losses with someone who brings nothing but pain in your life.

Richard parked the car & shut off the ignition. The boys stepped out of the car & made their way to the entrance of the Star Labs. The area was a mess. It seemed as though whatever the Dominators had planned to do when reaching Central City, they had already accomplished it. They caused damage across the front of the property, leaving burning scorches of flames across the parking lot, & a few small holes inside of the Star Labs sign. It resembled the damage done from heat vision.

Logan let out a whistle. "Still think our guy is alive?" he asked.

Richard bit his lip. He was afraid of what the answer might be. "Let's go."

The trio made their way inside of the science facility, surveying the area for any signs of life. In the lobby, there was nobody. Not a peep nor a sound aside from the tiny clattering of their footsteps echoed across the eerily quiet lobby. Richard recalled the Cortex hub that the Flash had his friends operating out of a few weeks ago. If anything, the kid would be there.

Richard made his way down the hallway that he remembered going down when he first found Barry Allen. Victor & Logan followed behind him, each walking cautiously towards the light that shone down from the end of the hall. After a few moments, Richard, Logan, & Victor each made their way to the open space of the Cortex.

Victor & Logan each spun around, gazing upon the advanced technology that they were suddenly immersed by. "Wow, this is rad," Logan called out.

Victor nodded. "Yeah, this is...something." He turned to Richard. "So, this is where the Flash works?"

Richard nodded. "Yeah, this is where I tracked him down to."

"Where he told you he changed time?" Logan asked.

Richard glanced over at Logan, feeling suddenly bothered by the fact that Barry had even done that. "Yeah," he said softly. "Yes."

Logan nodded. Victor shook his head & let out a chuckle. "I am never gonna be able to wrap my head around that."

Richard scoffed, amused that the robot had trouble accepting the fact. "Okay, Cyborg. I'm sure it'll sink in soon."

Victor rolled his eyes. Logan glanced up at Richard, nodding. "Yeah, I mean, time travel...I guess that's a thing." Victor & Richard both glanced at Logan, shocked that such a crazy theoretical concept was easy for Logan to believe. Logan sighed. "So, a few months ago, my friend Kit introduced me to this guy. They call him the Chief. He's basically this super secretive boss-man who runs this anti-terrorist unit called the Doom Patrol." Logan touched his black & purple suit. "I joined pretty fast, thinking it'd be cool. But man, the things we did, the things we saw. It really made me question everything, but after a while, nothing really surprises me anymore. Not even what we did as the Titans."

Richard nodded. He had no idea that Logan had managed to find life after the Titans. He was glad to hear it, but, somewhat disappointed. He was worried that sooner or later, everyone would find lives outside of their unit, & maybe, they'd have to leave. He was worried he wouldn't find life after the Titans himself.

Logan cleared his throat. "It was work, but...it wasn't the Titans. It wasn't a home, you know?"

Richard smiled faintly at the young boy. He nodded. "I really am sorry for what I did," he said softly.

Logan smiled, waving Richard off. "Yo, no time to get all mushy, Boy Wonder. We've got work to do."

Richard let out a quiet laugh. Victor walked passed Richard, making his way towards a glass walled room with a medical bed & an examining table. On the bed, laid a young, black boy. Richard & Logan followed Victor, but suddenly, Richard recognized the boy. "He was here," Richard said. "When I found the Flash. He...he was here."

The young boy was wearing a blue flannel over a red t-shirt & jeans. He was resting on the bed with an IV connected from his arm to a machine to his side. As the group got closer, the young boy's eyes fluttered opened, then he sat back in shock. "Whoa, what?" he called out. He then noticed Richard. "Hey, it's you!"

Richard held his hands up defensively. "Oh, man, chill. I'm not trying to sock you in the face, kid."

Victor looked down at Richard with an arched eyebrow. "What?"

Richard sighed. "I punched the Flash &, like, almost kicked this guy's ass," he casually said, recapping for Victor.

Victor nodded. "Nice."

The boy's eyes widened at Victor. "You're...a robot."

Logan stepped closer to the boy on the bed. "Wally West?"

The boy stared back at Logan. "You're...green?"

Richard sighed & glanced back at Victor & Logan. "I'm pretty sure this is him," he said finally. He knelt down beside Wally on the bed & scratched the back of his head. "Listen, I'm sorry for my attitude last time I was here. I was out of line a little bit."

"A little bit?" Wally scoffed.

Richard groaned. "Kid, just...be cool, okay?"

Wally eyed Richard for a moment, before finally nodding. "Alright, we're cool."

Richard nodded. "Okay, cool." He tossed a thumb over his shoulder. "So tell me, Wally, what the hell happened outside?"

Wally sighed, sitting up from the bed. As he did, he groaned softly, as if he had injured himself. "The Green Arrow & Barry, they were fighting off all of these people. It...it was crazy, man."

"Wait, people?" Victor asked. "Not aliens?"

Wally shook his head. "No. There hasn't been any aliens around here," Wally said. "Just the teams that the Green Arrow brought with him."

Richard thought about this statement, recalling his last visit to Star City. He thought about when he last talked to Oliver, & how he admitted to having lost his team. Suddenly, he had Evelyn Sharp back in Star City, & he was tackling these aliens with his own team again. "But...you said they were fighting?" Richard asked.

Wally nodded. "Yeah, the Green Arrow brought me to safety, & I made my way back here."

Logan glanced around. "So where's everyone else?"

Wally shrugged. "I don't know. No one will tell me anything."

Richard arched his eyebrow. "Well, I mean...weren't you helping Barry with all of this?"

Wally rolled his eyes. "No. He...he won't let me," he admitted. "No one wants me to be out there, using my powers."

Victor gestured to Wally. "It's because you're in a medbay, isn't it?"

Wally groaned, suddenly reaching over for his IV. He snapped it loose & sat up, hissing as he struggled to stand. "I don't need it. My speed lets me heal fast."

Logan smiled, nudging Richard. "That's cool. I want super speed."

Richard glanced over at Logan, then looked back up at Wally. "Kid, you haven't fully recovered. You should rest."

Wally shook his head. "Nah, I wanna help. I need to do something with my powers. I can't just sit here & act like nothing's wrong."

Richard bit his lip, considering the words this young boy was trying to say. He wanted to fight. In fact, he yearned for it. Part of Richard was afraid that this boy would be a liability, rushing in merely for the thrill of the ride, or worse, that his injuries could cost Wally his life. Richard thought back to Jaime & his Scarab. Each person was apparently essential to the battle against these invaders. This boy was willing to fight. Richard could give him the opportunity to fight. But was he willing to put another young, inexperienced fighter in enemy lines?

Wally sat up. "You came here because you guys are fighting these aliens, right? These Dominators? You could use me," Wally said. "You can let me fight with you. I could be more help out there than in here."

Victor shook his head. "Boy, you got your ass handed to you. You said it yourself, you had the Green Arrow bring you in."

Wally scoffed.. "No, I wasn't prepared. I just didn't have my head on straight, but going alongside you guys, I'm sure I'll be alright." Wally then turned to Richard. "Don't bench me like Barry, man. I'm good. I'm even faster than him."

Richard suddenly turned to Wally, his eyebrow arched. Wally had peaked his interest. "You're...faster than Barry?"

Wally nodded. "Damn right, I am."

Richard ran a hand through his hair. "Barry...he ran back in time, Wally. You're faster than that?"

Wally smirked. He nodded towards the Cortex. "According to the tests they ran on me, yeah. I'm faster than Barry was when he first got his speed." Wally finally stood up from the bed, grunting as he did so, & stood in front of Richard, coming out to a few inches shorter than Richard. "Come on, man. You know you need me."

Richard bit his lip, considering his options. He could be killing this young boy by taking him out of Star Labs, back into the field. But...the Scarab said they needed Wally. Richard honestly trusted the Scarab more than anything. He predicted the invasion. He was aware of the effects of Flashpoint. His gut said to trust the Scarab. By doing so, he was putting trust on Wally West.

Richard nodded. "Alright, kid," he said, extending his hand out to Wally. "We're bringing you in. Welcome to the Titans."


	15. Chapter 15: The Martian

**Chpt. XV: The Martian**

Richard stood by the computer dashboard in the caverns, examining the team before him. He saw Roy teaching Evelyn new techniques with her bow. The two managed to train efficiently enough, each one showing the other different tricks involving their bows & individual arrows. They sparred together & seemed to be getting along well enough. Richard caught sight of Conner letting Victor spar him, noticing Victor shooting large energy blasts from his cannon arm into Conner's chest. Conner's shirt became shredded &, eventually, forced Conner to rip his shirt off. Evelyn got distracted by this new wardrobe change, allowing Roy to get an upperhand on the two as they sparred.

Richard turned to see Wally showing Logan the capabilities of his speed, showing individual limbs vibrating at a fast rate. It looked as though Wally was slowly fading away from existence, but, Wally smiled. Richard could tell that this was the kind of man who loved to gloat & show off. Richard just hoped that his pride wouldn't get in the way of him getting anything accomplished, or...wouldn't get him killed.

Tim approached Richard & nodded. "Hey, dude," he said.

Richard turned to Tim. "Hey, man."

Tim sighed, crossing his arms, & glanced at the group training. "This is crazy," he said softly. "We're...going up against aliens."

Richard smiled faintly. "Aren't you glad we have a Tamaran & are going to get a Martian?"

Tim shook his head. "That's another thing, Dick. A parallel world? Like, what does that even mean?" Richard kept quiet. Tim scoffed with worry in his eyes. "Do you even know what you're going to have to do?"

Richard bit his lip, glancing over to Rachel & Zatanna. The two were both reading out of some ancient book. Richard could tell they were practicing some incantation. Richard turned to Tim. "Zatanna & Rachel know what they're doing," he said confidently.

Tim shut his eyes tightly, & opened them as he grunted in frustration. "Dick...this is interdimensional travel. You're getting a Martian. Who knows what's on the other side?"

Richard shrugged. "Like what, Tim?"

"I dunno, like, a bazillion more aliens? Maybe Planet of the Apes, I don't know!"

Richard let out a casual laugh. "It's a version of Earth, man. Not something ripped out of a sci-fi movie."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man. This whole thing is a sci-fi movie."

Richard placed his hand on Tim's shoulder & looked straight into his eyes with the faintest smile. "Brother, it's fine," he said softly in the most relaxed manner. "It's gonna be okay. Everything is going to work out alright. I'm going to come back, we're going to get this Martian, & we're going to defeat the Dominators."

Tim stared up at Richard, still wearing wearing worry in his eyes. Before he could speak, he felt someone approach him from behind. He turned to find Jaime walking up to the two, smiling softly. Richard sighed in relief. He didn't know how much longer he could pretend to not be nervous about traveling to a parallel universe.

"Hey, Richard," Jaime said. "I, uh, I've been meaning to tell you something."

Richard nodded. "Okay," he said. "Let's talk."

Jaime & Richard both walked away from the computer dashboard, allowing them to talk with more discretion. Richard sighed. "So, what, you're asking if I'm giving you a codename for the field?" Richard said jokingly.

Jaime let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, no, um...it's about that," Jaime said. "About everything. I need to leave. The Scarab wants me to do something."

Richard shook his head. "Okay, I don't get it. How the hell is this beetle telling you to not help us fight? Like, he's putting together part of our team, but he can't be a part of it?"

Jaime shrugged. "It's saying I have a greater duty, whatever that means." Jaime sighed, rubbing the back of his shaven head. "It's just...it's sentient. It's alive, & it's really trying to take control. Whenever I'm threatened, it wants to fight, but, in this case, it's controlling me & trying to flee. I...I don't know."

Richard arched his eyebrow, staring hard at Jaime. "Jaime...is your Scarab afraid of these aliens we're going up against?"

Jaime shrugged. "Dude, I'M afraid. I want to stay & fight, because it feels right, but...the Scarab has other plans."

Richard ran a hand through his hair. Was he hearing this straight? A sentient alien beetle that formed body armor over Jaime Reyes was...afraid of this Dominator race? If it was afraid...should the Titans be?

Richard sighed in defeat. "I'm not going to pretend that I'm cool with this," he said, "but you've given us enough for us to finish this ourselves." He extended his hand out to Jaime. "If you ever need anything, we're here. You're always going to be welcome."

Jaime smiled, shaking Richard's hand. "I'm never going to be able to thank you for getting me out of Star City when you did."

Richard nodded, & watched as Reyes walked towards the back of the caverns & grabbed his skateboard, His eyes traced Jaime as he hopped on the board & began skating down, out of the cave. He really hoped he would see him again. He didn't just think he would be a great aid in this battle, but, he knew that Jaime needed people to look after him. Richard's brotherly instincts kicked in, making him regret letting the boy leave.

Suddenly, Richard felt a soft touch on his shoulder. He turned to find Kori standing beside him. She cleared her throat. "Rachel says they are ready."

Richard nodded. "Great." He began walking towards Rachel & Zatanna, but stopped when he noticed Kori following him. "Kori...what are you doing?" he asked.

"I am going with you," she answered. "Rachel said that you would need my help in case things went in a south direction while encountering this Martian."

Richard smiled softly. "In case things went south," he corrected. "But...I was hoping you'd stay behind, in case things DID go south."

Kori arched an eyebrow. "I don't understand."

Richard bit his lip. He looked into Kori's eyes & let out a deep breath. "I don't want to risk anyone else getting hurt if I don't need them to be there. I...I especially don't want to risk having you get hurt."

Kori stared back at Richard, nodding softly. "I...I think I understand." She then sighed. "I will not get hurt, Dick. I don't plan to fight. I plan to talk to her."

Suddenly, things clicked in his head. She wanted to talk to HER, to the Martian. She wanted to talk to...M'gann.

Richard took Kori's hands in his & held them tight. "Kori, I...I know it hurt when we lost M'gann. She was a wonderful person, with such a beautiful soul. She was beyond kind, & we all loved her. I know you miss her. We all miss her, Kori. What we're about to do, though, it's not replacing M'gann. We're not going & getting M'gann back. The person we're searching for, she isn't OUR M'gann. She's from another parallel world. She won't know who we are, & she won't feel anything for us. It'll be strange for us being with her, but...this isn't our M'gann. We can't let our emotions get the best of us right now."

Richard watched as Kori's bright green eyes welled up with tears. She blinked, allowing them to fall down her cheeks. "Rachel says it is okay to cry when I am sad. Is...this not okay, now?"

Richard wrapped his arms around Kori, embracing her in a tight, loving hug. Kori's head fell perfectly in place with Richard's shoulder. He rubbed Kori's back softly. "Of course it is," he said. "Crying is always okay. Even the strongest of us cry." Richard continued to hold Kori in his arms, feeling her back rise & fall has she let out soft sobs. He felt her heartbeat in her chest hard, close to Richard's own heart beating. He really did care about Kori, more than he wished to admit. When it came to the team, he couldn't afford to make things any more complicated than it needed to be. He couldn't let his feelings for Kori be anything other than him being protective of his team, his family. She knew that too, but...it was hard.

Rachel suddenly approached the two. She laid a soft hand on Kori's shoulder, glancing up at Richard. "What's wrong?" she asked, showing concern for her friend.

Richard pulled Kori back, looking down into her eyes. He lifted her face up with a finger to her chin & smiled. "Nothing," he said. "We're going to be okay."

Kori nodded with a faint smile, then turned to Rachel. Kori took Rachel's hand in our own. "I am ready to go with you."

Rachel nodded softly. "Well, alright then."

Richard followed Kori & Rachel as they approached Zatanna, who was on the ground. Zatanna was drawing some sort of symbol on the ground with a dark chalk. It resembled some strange star. Was it a pentagram? Richard wasn't sure. He really didn't take much notice to any of the supernatural or the occult. Richard watched as Rachel began setting candles up at each point of the large star. She then started to light the candles, humming some unrecognizable hymn to herself. After a few moments, Richard noticed the rest of the group crowding around them. Victor stood alongside Conner, while Roy & Evelyn stood side by side. Next to them were Wally & Logan. Then, finally, Richard noticed Tim, who stood a few feet away from the rest of the group. He made eye contact with Richard &, for a brief second, nodding towards the former Robin, as if he was approving of Richard's moment of bravery. Richard nodded back, doing his best to mask his fear.

Conner cleared his throat, catching Richard's attention. Conner nodded towards him. "We're gonna do this right," he called.

Richard bit his lip. He nodded back. "We're not losing her again," Richard responded.

Richard turned to Rachel & Zatanna, who both were standing face to face outside of the design they had created. They both began humming with their hands spread out. They hummed some strange melody, something ominous & mysterious. Richard watched as the two began to reach for one another. As their hands connected & linked together, the two began to chant indistinguishable phrases. As they did, their voices echoed in unison, creating the illusion that an entire choir was chanting alongside them. Wind began to howl & blow from within the cave, causing everyone's clothes to ripple & be tugged on, as though the winds were the hands of children holding onto them for dear life.

Richard felt Kori's hand slid into his as the winds circled around Rachel & Zatanna. Their incantation caused the star's outline to glow purple. The light began to shine brighter & brighter as the two began to chant louder & louder. The light finally grew to such a bright intensity that the purple hue of the star became a white holy glow.

Finally, the bright light blasted upward, as though a rift from the center of the earth had opened wide, & a rush of cool air went with the light. Rachel's cloak flowed high up, & Zatanna's blazer flapped in the wind with such ferocity. The two finally let out of one another's hands, & then stepped away from the pentagram. After a few moments, the bright light revealed a purplish-white strip within the emitting rays of light. Zatanna turned to Richard & Kori. "Alright, we're going."

The Titans watched nervously as Richard, with Kori in hand, followed Zatanna & Rachel into the interdimensional portal. As he did, he took a deep breath, recalling his time when Rachel first teleported him with Roy. As he entered, he felt the same sensation that he did all those years ago. First, his eyesight disappeared. Then the illusion of gas filling up within his chest startled him. He felt his limbs grow numb & his body jerk around as though a celestial being was tossing him around like an action figure.

Finally, Richard felt his physical being begin to regain feeling. He opened his eyes to find himself standing next to Zatanna, Rachel, & Kori. The four of them stood in a small, brightly lit cell. The cell's walls were white & had strange square groovings. Richard glanced to his side & saw a glass wall with a metallic edging. For some reason, they were locked from the inside. Richard turned around & found a young, black woman laying down on a bed fit for a prisoner. The woman wore a green jacket & a pair of jeans, as though she were a normal civilian. There was a small toilet to the side of the bed. Richard gasped to himself. Were they actually in a prison cell?

Richard stepped in front of the girls around him, spreading his arms out & shielding them. "Get behind me, guys," he said as he focused on the girl on the bed. She must've been M'gann, but being in a prison in this alternate reality, she must've been some terrible version of her.

After a few moments, the young woman woke up & was startled by the sudden appearance of strangers in her enclosed cell. "Oh my gosh!" she called out. She sat upright, then stared hard at the group. "What? How…?"

Richard glanced back at the girls behind him, then turned to the prisoner. "M'gann M'orzz?" he asked.

The woman nodded. "Yes, who the hell are you?"

Richard let out a sigh. He let his arms drop slightly, but still kept a protective stance over the girls. He looked back at M'gann. "Why are you in a prison cell?"

"Why are YOU in MY prison cell?" M'gann called out.

Richard stared back at M'gann. Suddenly, he felt Zatanna lean close to his ear. "She's got a point," she muttered.

Richard shook Zatanna from his side. "M'gann, where are we?"

M'gann stared dumbfoundedly at Richard & his friends. She honestly had no idea who they were. Richard hoped that any version of M'gann, no matter what parallel dimension she lived in, would recognize Richard & his team. This, however, was not the case. M'gann cleared her throat. "We are at the D.E.O. in National City."

"National City?" Rachel asked. "What the hell are we doing in National City?"

Richard sighed. He turned back to Rachel. "We're here for M'gann," he answered casually.

"What?" M'gann called out in panic.

Richard turned back to the Martian girl & knelt down in front of her. "My name is Richard Grayson." He turned behind him & gestured to the women standing behind him. "This is Zatanna Zatara, Rachel Roth, & Koriand'r. We've come from a parallel universe &, if I'm being honest, we need your help."

M'gann stared at the group with a face of disbelief. "Wha...what?"

Richard sighed in frustration. "My world...we're facing an imminent threat against an alien species. They've been dubbed as the Dominators &, quite frankly, they scare the living hell out of me. I have a whole team back on Earth assembled to combat this species, but I can't do this without your help."

M'gann bit her lip. She turned to the side, muttering to herself. "Dominators," she said slowly, almost with a foreign accent. "I know of these monsters," she said aloud, turning to Richard. "But why would you need my help?"

Richard struggled to find the right answer to give. Before he could speak, Kori had begun to give her own answer. "On our Earth, we knew you," she said. "You were-" Kori started to say, before Rachel shushed her to silence.

"Wait, what?" M'gann cried. "You KNEW me? What...what does that mean?"

Richard's mind raced frantically, struggling to come up with the right thing to say without alarming M'gann. "On our Earth, we've encountered a version of you. Another Martian just like you, but, she isn't with us anymore. She was a strong telepath, which is the reason why we need you. Your abilities may very well be what changes the tide in our favor in this fight."

M'gann shook her head. "I...don't understand. Why can't you get me, or...the M'gann from YOUR planet? Why can't you get her back to fight for you?"

Richard bit his lip. He didn't want her knowing that their M'gann had died. He especially didn't want her to know that it was Richard's fault. He didn't want to be lying again, turning into the man that Bruce was, but, he knew that this was something that needed to be kept in the dark. This trust would only be strong if M'gann knew less about her other counterpart, right? That's what needed to be done, right?

Richard sighed in defeat. He knew what he needed to do. Lying broke the team up before. He couldn't let it happen again. "M'gann is dead," he said softly.

M'gann stared down at Richard. "I...what?" she said through a shaky breath.

Richard shut his eyes, wanting to avoid his tears welling up. "She...she died, fighting alongside us. She really was one of the strongest telepaths...ever...but, I just don't to risk scaring you out of this fight. More than that, I...I don't want to risk letting the same thing happen again."

M'gann watched Richard as he slowly opened his eyes & wiped them with his fist. He didn't want to let M'gann see him in a vulnerable state. He needed to be the strong, defiant leader. It wasn't easy, knowing how many times Richard had messed up before. He just wanted to be able to lead this team without anymore losses. He didn't want anymore deaths weighing on his conscious. He just wanted to do what was right.

Suddenly, he felt a hand run through his hair softly. He looked up & found M'gann glancing down at Richard with a soft smile. He was surprised at how friendly she looked all of a sudden. Her touch on his head, it was...comforting. Was this some telepathic trick that she was using on him? No. No, it wasn't. This was him...feeling M'gann again. HIS M'gann. The same M'gann he knew all those years ago. He felt as though she was sitting right in front of him. He knew they were two different people, but...she felt familiar. It felt right.

M'gann leaned down close, smiling at Richard. "I will help you. I won't let you down, Richard." She brought both of her hands to her chest, gesturing to herself. "I know what this M'gann meant to you. I will do my best to fight alongside you, & bring honor to your M'gann."

Richard smiled. He sat upright & hugged M'gann tightly, feeling as though he was holding his old friend in his arms. He knew these were different people, & he had warned Kori to not let her emotions get the better of him, but who was he kidding? He couldn't keep his own feelings in check. His own grief & guilt brought him down to shambles, but M'gann was ready to bring him back up, to fight. That's who she was. It seemed that, no matter what universe they were in, M'gann was still the loving, nurturing Martian that they Titans had adored.


	16. Chapter 16: War

**Chpt. XVI: War**

Richard walked alongside Tim & Roy as the rest of the Titans followed behind, along with the new additions to the team. Richard surveyed the warehouse, suspicious as to why the Dominators' were held up in this specific location. It seemed strange. For a race of aliens that clearly did not come in peace, why would their first instinct be to hide out in an abandoned warehouse? They had as much creativity as a drug dealer with gangbangers.

After retrieving M'gann M'orzz from the parallel universe, the team had begun to train amongst one another. Some Titans needed to familiarize themselves with combat training in their mystical sorcery. Some needed training in hand to hand combat. Some needed to know what it was like to have more than a few aliens on their own side when fighting the Dominators. However, after merely a few hours of training, the team had received a booming signal from an obscure source. They knew it was from the Dominators; it was in a technical code that almost no one could decipher. The Titans took this as the opportunity to deal with the threat right away. Everyone suited up, & prepared for war with the Dominators. The Titans managed to locate the booming signal to the warehouse all the way out in Jump City late at night.

"I don't get it," Roy called out. "Why would the Dominators just send us a signal?"

"It was an invitation," Logan called out. "They wanted to finally meet the famous Titans!" The group turned & glared at Logan in annoyance. Logan scoffed jokingly. "What, you don't think these killer aliens could've heard of Earthly stories about us Titans kicking ass?"

"Hey, Logan," Victor growled. "Shut up."

The young boy suddenly shut his mouth. It was remarkable what kind of control Cyborg had over Changeling. Richard admired their brotherly relationship. It reminded him of his own relationship with Tim, except Tim was almost easier to maintain. Almost. He was still just an overly eager kid. In fact, he sort of saw Tim's enthusiastic attitude within the new speedster, Wally.

As the Titans examined the abandoned warehouse, Richard noticed Wally approaching the new archer, Evelyn. Wally cleared his throat. "Hey," he said softly. "I'm Wally."

Evelyn, with her arrow drawn back in her bow, didn't even glance over at the young boy. She simply nodded. "Hey," she said softly back.

Wally bit his lip, glancing around for an answer as to how he should approach this girl. He cleared his throat & tried again. "So, I heard you trained with the Green Arrow?"

"Yeah, I guess you heard right," Evelyn grunted.

Wally arched his eyebrow at young Evelyn with discouragement, then casually walked away from her. He walked, passing by Logan. Logan nodded towards Wally & smiled. "It's okay, man. I can show you how to talk to babes," Logan said.

Wally grinned as Logan wiped his shoulders confidently, then made his way to Rachel. Rachel had her hooded cloak over her body, doing her best to ignore the green boy's presence. Logan smiled, nudging Rachel. "Hey, baby. You know, the only thing out here more beautiful than the big bright moon tonight is you."

Rachel slowly turned to Logan & glared at him. "I've never vomited, Logan. Ever. Keep this up, & I just might hurl for the first time."

Rachel suddenly began to levitate, with her feet glowing purple, & began to float away slowly. Logan nodded with a large grin, nodding over to Rachel. "Yeah, okay, I'll catch you later, babe!" he called out. He sighed in defeat, turning to Wally, who was snickering to himself. "Shut up," he grunted at Wally.

Richard sighed. He began to focus on anything that may be suspicious within the warehouse. So far, everyone was distracted, & the warehouse actually appeared to be empty. However, Richard needed to be thorough. Richard had to be sure that this wasn't the place where the Dominators were.

Richard knelt down underneath a wooden board, hoping to find some sort of clue. Maybe a piece of alien hardware? Maybe even an alien corpse? Something that could help lead the Titans in the right direction. After a few moments, Richard felt someone standing over him. Richard glanced over his shoulder to find Kori, smiling down at Richard. "Hello, Dick," Kori said softly.

Richard smiled softly. "Hey, Kori."

Kori knelt down beside Richard. "What are you looking for?" she asked.

Richard sighed. "I don't know," he admitted. "I really don't know. What should I be looking for? Is there some kind of alien device that I need to be looking out for? Maybe some keycard that leads to their spaceship? Maybe we need to find their mothership?"

Kori stared blankly at Richard as he asked these rhetorical questions. Richard let out a defeated sigh. "I don't know what the hell I'm looking for. Maybe there isn't anything here. Maybe the Dominators aren't here at all."

"Why would the Dominators send us a false signal?" Kori asked.

Richard really thought about the question. He looked up at Kori's bright green eyes. "You don't think they'd actually...set up a trap, right?"

Kori bit her lip. "I have not heard of what these Dominators are capable of, but, coming from a royal Tamaran family, I can say that we had very intricate methods of tactical warfare."

Richard arched his eyebrow. "You mean, like, your military?"

Kori nodded. "Our army. It was vast, but, we would never send out our all of our forces at once. We would send small units first, as diversions. We would distract the enemy, & once our smaller units have successfully invaded, we would send the heavy forces, preparing for annihilation."

Richard stared at Kori with an alarmed look. "Wow...I figured Tamarans were peaceful people."

Kori shook her head. "In war, there is no advantage for the peaceful. It is kill or be killed."

Richard had to consider this logic. For aliens, it must be customary to consider the solution of a conflict to be something as dire as killing & nothing more. It was a strategic sort of logic, but when it came to humans acting upon that logic, whether it be in war with another nation or not, it seemed more...primitive. Richard always hated the idea of war, & he used to believe that killing was the only option too. After growing up, he learned that there were other ways to win aside from shedding blood. In this case, Richard wasn't sure how far he would go, but with killer aliens invading, this may be truly the only time when killing is the only option. But how do you kill a horde of aliens that you can't even find?

Then, as if on cue, there was a loud bang that echoed throughout the warehouse. Richard spun back to find that, in the center of the empty space, there was a large humanoid being. It was grey & tall, showing its bony skeletal structure underneath its rough, leathery skin. One arm was long, with a long finger extended further than the rest. On the other arm, there was a metallic gauntlet worn around its thin wrist. Suddenly, it turned & looked directly at Richard. Its face was long, with large sharp teeth bared in its open growl. Richard caught sight of the transparent brain exposed at the top of the alien's head. It pulsated at a slow & intimidating rate. This was it.

"Alien!" cried Logan from across the warehouse. The rest of the Titans all caught sight of the lone Dominator, but nobody made a move against the fiend. Everyone took a sudden moment of precaution before attacking. Richard appreciated this. Either everyone was smarter than they looked & knew not to attack blindly, or they were more nervous & afraid as he was.

Richard breathed slowly, eyeing the Dominator. Its movements were slow, almost like a glacier making its way across an ocean. Richard noticed its small, beady eyes. Maybe it was blind. Would there be a way to test that hypothesis out without harming anybody? Richard shook the thought from his head. He needed to focus on a weak spot. Something had to serve as its achilles heel, rendering this beast vulnerable. Richard thought about how he would approach this large creature. Its long arms would surely swat him away like a fly, unless its reflexes weren't strong.

"Pst," hissed Zatanna from the other end of the warehouse. "What's our move, fearless leader?"

Richard glanced at Zatanna, then glanced back at the Dominator. It was suddenly eyeing Richard again, but this time, its movements were different. Its chest rose & fell rapidly, as though it was breathing faster. It moved closer to Richard, snarling at him. Saliva dripped from its sharp bony jaw line. It was going to make its move.

Just as the Dominator leaped outward toward Richard, he called out to everyone. "Titans, go!" he shouted, tossing himself over Kori to protect her. The two scattered inches from where the Dominator landed, & ducked underneath the alien's long arm sweep. The two ran towards the rest of the Titans, who had all gathered around the center of the warehouse to begin attacking. Victor aimed his cannon arm at the Dominator alongside Roy & Artemis, both shooting their arrows into the beast. Kori managed to float over the group, & began tossing beams of energy from her green lit hands at the alien. Rachel stood below, next to the archers, tossing dark purple beams of energy at their target. Richard circled around Titans, passing by Logan, M'gann & Wally. Richard noticed the damage the Dominator was enduring. It was stuck, forced to take on arrow after arrow after plasma beam after dark energy. They were winning.

After a few moments, Richard noticed Tim, inching towards the alien. He called out to Tim. "Don't attack it head-on just yet!"

Tim turned back to Richard & nodded, raising his hands up defensively. Richard turned to spot Conner, running out & leaping onto the Dominator. Suddenly, everyone ceased fire, not wanting to injure the Kryptonian. Conner pushed the Dominator down onto its back & began throwing fist after fist, punching the beast with such ferocious strength. Richard eyed the Dominator carefully. He needed to be sure that the alien wasn't still capable of countering anyone's attacks, especially close encounter attacks.

Conner raised a final fierce blow to the Dominator's face, then a bright red glow began illuminating Conner's face. A sudden bright red laser emitted from Conner's eyes, piercing the Dominator's head. Conner howled as he let out his heat vision, causing everyone to stumble back. His roar was loud enough to make the Titans fear the Kryptonian clone. After a few moments, the heat vision finally simmered down, & Conner's roar faded to heavy breathing. Smoke was rising from the Dominator's face.

Richard ran towards Conner, followed by Victor, & the two reached for Conner's arms & pulled him back from the alien corpse. Richard eyed Conner up & down, searching for any signs of injury. "Are you okay?" Richard asked.

Conner nodded slowly. His eyes were still somewhat red & his hair was damp with sweat. "Yeah, I'm good," he said softly.

Richard nodded, then turned to the Dominator that laid on the ground before them. Victor approached the body, kneeling down. He slowly raised his finger to touch the body, but Richard placed a hand on Victor's shoulder, shaking his head. "No, Vic, let me."

Victor looked up at Richard, then nodded. He moved aside, making room for Richard. He knelt down beside the cyborg & brought his fingers carefully to the corpse's neck, searching for a pulse. As he touched the alien's rough skin, Richard groaned to himself. "Damn, this is gross," he muttered. After a few moments, he sighed, removing his hand. He turned to Cyborg. "Either these things don't keep a pulse by its neck, or it's dead."

Victor nodded, & the two rose from the corpse & approached Conner & the rest of the Titans. Conner was with M'gann. She was massaging his head. Her eyes were glowing red, similar to J'onn's gaze. Perhaps she was tending to any internal damage Conner had endured; Richard wasn't sure. He could see that he was pained, though, & not from the fight. That close proximity to M'gann, despite her being a different person, would still not be great for a mending heart. However, the sight did bring a sense of comfort to Richard. She wasn't the same M'gann, but...her same caring & nurturing self was present there.

Wally approached Richard with a frown on his face. "You guys didn't leave any room for me to get in there," Wally whined.

Richard glared at Wally. "Kid, the thing is dead," he said. "Just be grateful it didn't come for you."

Wally rolled his eyes as Logan approached the two. "Speaking of which," Logan started, "do you think that this one was the only one?"

Richard bit his lip. He brought up a good point. Hordes upon hordes of these Dominators had invaded Earth. So far, out of the two days that they had been on the planet, the Titans had only encountered one. It was peculiar. The Titans received a signal coming from this location. Was it really only one Dominator that had released the signal?

"Keep your eyes peeled," Richard called out to everyone. "We're probably not alone."

Richard removed his escrima sticks from his back as everyone readied themselves for another attack. Roy & Artemis strung up their bows again. Victor's cannon arm pulsated with energy. Rachel & Kori floated above the group with their eagle eyes glowing purple & green. Zatanna stood at ready, fingers itching to motion a spell at any given moment. Logan & M'gann stood close to Conner, whose arms flexed with his breathing. Wally stood alongside Tim, who had his staff ready to swing. Richard watched the team carefully, making sure nothing attacked them from behind.

Just as Richard turned to face his front, he heard Tim call out to him. "Dick, look out!" Robin cried as Dominators began to fall from the ceiling, landing in front of Richard. They were inches from Richard, & they were all growling. There were at least 8 or 9 Dominators, maybe more, & each one was eyeing the Titans in front of them. They were ready to attack.

Richard took a split second to glance up, wondering where the Dominators came from, but just as he looked back down, a Dominator swung its arm at Richard, sending him across the warehouse. Richard flew through the air & skidded to a rolling stop, a few meters away from the rest of the Titans. Luckily, his Nightwing armor was strong enough to keep him from taking too much damage from the concrete. The Dominator's blow, though, was much stronger.

Richard struggled to stand, much managed to get on his feet. He eyed the Titans, each taking on several Dominators. A red & yellow streak zipped around the fight, revealing Wally's superspeed as he took on several Dominators one punch at a time. Wally had zipped passed M'gann, who had finally shapeshifted into her Martian form. Her skin was green & her hair managed to disappear, revealing her bald scalp. Her armor resembled that of the Martian Manhunter's, with it being a greenish blue hue with a red X over the chest. The Dominators seemed began dispersing away from M'gann, as though they were startled by her sudden transformation. This did not last long. The Dominators began attacking M'gann, forcing her down onto the ground, crying out for help.

Richard was about to race towards the Martian when he spotted Conner charge into the crowd of Dominators, shoving each aside. The Dominators were tossed at great distances for Conner to reach M'gann. He embraced her in a protective hug, bringing her up onto her feet. M'gann took a moment to look at Conner in his eyes, then smiled. The two turned to face the horde of Dominators, then attacked head on.

"Nightwing!" called Tim from the other side of the warehouse. He was fighting a Dominator with his staff, but the Dominator was too large & overpowering. It was cornering Tim against a wall, where two other Dominators were approaching them.

"Hold on!" Richard called back, racing towards Robin. He swung his escrima sticks in his hands & connected them, allowing the electric pulse within the larger staff to charge. As he approached the monsters, Richard leaped up into the air, swinging his staff into the Dominator's skull. The electricity shock went through the alien's entire body, causing it to shiver, then collapse in front of Robin. Its body sizzled, as though Richard had just fried it.

Richard spun to face the next two Dominators that were approaching him & Robin. Richard glanced down at Tim, who gave Richard a nervous look back. Richard grinned softly, putting up a strong front for his young brother. "On three," he said.

Tim nodded in agreement, then turned to face the Dominators. Richard took a deep breath, then exhaled. "Three!"

The two leaped onto the Dominators, staffs swinging at the monsters. The Dominators attacked back, causing Tim to fall back onto the floor. Richard used his electrical pulsating staff to stun one Dominator, then swiftly tossed a winglet at the other Dominator. The blade stabbed the alien's eye, blinding it. Richard took the brief opportunity to grab Tim by his armor's collar, then dragged him away from the Dominators.

As the two got to a safe distance, Richard let out a heavy, tired breath. He glanced down at Tim, who was also regaining his breath. He nodded at Richard. "Thanks," he managed to croak.

Richard let out a nervous chuckle. "Anytime," he said.

Richard turned to spot the rest of the Titans. A large wall of purple energy emitted from in front of Zatanna as she held up her gloved hands, conjuring up protectives spells. The Dominators tried swinging at her, but the force field she had created prevented the aliens from penetrating. Suddenly, a green bird flew down by Zatanna, then while in the air, grew into a large, hairy beast, finally forming a gorilla. The green gorilla pounced on several Dominators, smashing its fists down onto the monsters. One latched itself onto the gorilla's back, then another. The gorilla howled as the Dominators began climbing on the gorilla, eventually forcing Changeling to transform into his human form. One of the Dominators managed to swing Logan up over its shoulder, carrying the injured shapeshifter. The Dominator ran across the warehouse, along with three others, & sped passed Richard.

"Logan!" Richard cried out to the Titan. The young boy was knocked out over the beast's shoulder, unable to respond. Richard turned back to the Titans, who were each fighting their own battle. Richard bit his lip. He knew he couldn't abandon the Titans, but he couldn't abandon Logan either.

Without a second to spare, Richard began sprinting out of the warehouse, making his way towards the small horde of Dominators & Logan.


	17. Chapter 17: Splash

**Chpt. XVII: Splash**

Richard wasn't sure how long he had been chasing the Dominators. Since he had left the warehouse, the sun was beginning to rise again. Since coming back from the alternate reality, Richard had sort of lost his sense of time. It probably didn't mean anything; it was probably just him not keeping track. But it was now dawn. Richard was now exposed by the daylight.

Richard resorted to leaping up onto a nearby fire escape of a building to his right. He climbed up, while also traversing across the side of the building. Eventually, he reached the top of the building, able to spot the Dominators with ease. They were headed to a nearby port. Why the hell were they going to the ocean? Richard rushed, without a moment to waste, & leaped off of the building, suddenly falling several feet from the building's rooftop. Instinctively, Richard removed a grappling gun from his utility belt & shot it out towards the boardwalk in front of the Dominators. He was jerked off towards his hook, grappling passed the Dominators. With ease, he managed to land on his feet, facing the aliens.

"Hey!" Richard called out defiantly. "Let go of him, you ugly sons of bitches!"

The Dominators each shared a quick glance with one another, as if asking what Richard had just said. Richard didn't think that these aliens would be able to comprehend the English language, let alone human communication. The one holding Logan turned to Richard, then swung his body off from his shoulder. He tossed the young boy onto the ground, between Richard & the Dominators.

Richard stepped forward towards Logan, but just as he did so, the Dominators each took a step forward as well. Richard eyed the monsters, taking his footstep back. They were baiting him. These aliens were actually playing games with him, trying to bait him for the kill. Richard had to play this safe.

Richard eyed Logan. He noticed the young boy's chest rise & fall slowly. He knew he was breathing; he was alive. He must've just been knocked out cold. Richard needed him alive, though. Alive & awake.

Richard reached into his utility belt slowly, hoping the Dominators wouldn't notice, & reached for a specific item. It was a batarang. He eyed the batarang for a brief moment. It was yellow & red. It was one of Tim's designs that he had accidentally picked up weeks before. Richard carefully aimed his wrist towards his front, then flicked the batarang outward. It stuck out of Logan's neck, releasing a small & sudden jolt of electricity through his body. Logan's eyes suddenly opened wide as he gasped for air. "Whoa!" Logan cried.

The Dominators each stumbled back in surprise as Logan began to stand upright. The boy spotted the aliens, then panicked, stepping back. He stepped backwards until he stepped on Richard's foot. He turned to Richard & yelped. "Dick!" he cried.

Richard brought his arm over Logan's chest & stood in front of him defensively. He used his other hand to remove his escrima staff from his shoulder, then pointed it out towards the Dominators. Richard eyed the monsters, hoping to spot some sort of tell as to what their next move would be.

"What do we do?" Logan whispered.

Richard's eyes darted around the boardwalk in panic. He hadn't realized he was standing on the end facing the ocean. They were cornered by the aliens, forcing them to face them head on. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to...run…

Richard turned back to Logan. "You think these guys can swim?" he asked.

Logan arched his eyebrow. "What?"

Just then, Richard used his free hand to begin tickling Logan's stomach, tracing his tickling fingers up under Logan's armpit. Logan laughed hysterically. "Dick!" he cried, "what the hell are you doing?"

Richard continued to tickle Logan, hoping for the proper reaction from the shapeshifter. After a moment, Logan let out a quick sneeze, & suddenly, Logan had morphed into a humongous animal with leathery skin. The animal roared with its large trunk as it struggled to stand on the boardwalk. Richard looked up at the giant green being. "An...elephant?"

The elephant slammed its trunk down on the boardwalk in between the two Titans & the Dominators, causing the wood to splinter & break into pieces. Several of the aliens fell into the water below, along with the elephant & Richard.

Richard panicked for a moment as he was engulfed by the ocean waves. He reached down into his utility belt & removed the small underwater oxygen inhibitor mouthpiece. He brought the mouthpiece up to his lips, then bit into it. He was suddenly able to take in a few small & steady breaths. As he felt himself relax moment by moment, he reached up to his eyes & pressed a portion of his eyemask. His vision began to glow bright white, creating light that illuminated his scene before him.

Richard caught sight of Logan's large elephant mass floating downward slowly into the water surface. A few Dominators were sinking helplessly as well, making Richard feel somewhat calmer. But what alarmed Richard was the thing he saw floating upward towards him.

As it got closer, Richard realized it was some sort of animal. A dark fish? Maybe a seal? No, seals didn't swim underwater. Did they? It swam past Logan, causing him to shriek. His large elephant trunk swung around, & the elephant shifted into a green shark, swimming towards Richard. Richard reached out for the shark's fin, but as he did, a Dominator suddenly lunged for Richard's arm, causing him to miss his grasp.

Richard howled & kicked the Dominator, but as he did so, the water pressure wouldn't allow his kick to be as strong as he would've hoped. The alien floated away just to have another float up towards him & swing its arm at Richard. Before Richard could react, a long, glowing whip snapped at the alien's arm, causing it to shriek. The whip recoiled back into a short handle. Holding this whip was a dark skinned man with glowing blue designs tracing up & down his arms. His bright beach blonde, almost white hair, was a massive contrast to the man's appearance. His pale grey eyes seemed to pierce the water, searing right into the alien's own eyes.

The beast howled back at the man, but the man removed a second whip from his back & pointed the handles out towards the alien. Water suddenly flowed straight upward, shooting the Dominator up out of the water surface. The man then grabbed Richard by his waist, then began swimming upward with an immense amount of speed.

Within moments, Richard was suddenly up at the surface, but what we saw was strange. The man stood above him with his whips pointing downward. The water shot out of the whips, creating a surface of water that he & Richard were standing on. The water flowed in a circle like a whirlpool, but it kept Richard from sinking inward. Richard gasped at the sight. What the hell was this?

Finally, the whirlpool reached over the half of the boardwalk that was intact & the water dispersed, dropping Richard & the man onto the hard wet floor. Richard finally got a good look at the man that stood before him. The man was older than Richard, but only by a few years. He wore a red metallic armor that was sleeveless, revealing his large muscular biceps. The armor shifted into a tight blue bottom that left his feet exposed & barefoot. Richard noticed the emblem that was worn around his waist. It was a gold symbol, sort of resembling an A. Richard knew he had seen this before…

Richard looked up at the man, then noticed the gills on his neck. "Oh my gosh," he muttered.

Just then, the two were startled by the hiss of nearby Dominators. They had begun to run towards the two, with their arms swaying their metallic gauntlets around. Richard reached for his escrima staff, ready to face the alien horde. The man beside him activated his whips, causing the glowing blue liquid-like substance to stiffen into two sharp blades. Richard noticed this & was amazed by the technology's capability. He now knew for sure who this man was for sure.

Before the Dominators could reach Richard, a green shark emerged from the right side of the boardwalk, shooting up into the air. As it did, it opened its mouth, attacking the few Dominators in its wake. As it began to cross the boardwalk, it brought the aliens down with it into the water, causing a giant splash of water to envelope Richard & the man. Richard sighed, glancing down at himself. He was beyond soaked.

After a few moments, the shark rose back up to the surface, but as it did, it morphed into a small bird. The bird flew over onto the boardwalk, then grew into the green shapeshifter that he truly was. Richard smiled as Logan became fully formed. The boy struck his arms in the air. "Booyah!" he cried. "Did you see that?"

Richard smiled, listening to Logan rave on about his heroics. "I was all like 'boom!' Then they were all like 'whaaaah!' But then I came in like 'whooosh!' and then I was like 'roar!' & they were like 'oh no!'" Logan noticed the man standing next to Richard. He gestured to him with a thumb. "Who's this guy?" Logan turned to Richard. "A friend of yours?"

Richard bit his lip, turning to the man. The man glanced at Logan, then turned to Richard. "I am Kaldur'ahm," he said in a deep, low voice. The way he spoke was clear & strong. Richard could tell that this man was a natural born leader & warrior. "I am one of Atlantis's many guardsmen of the Kingdom & the Throne of our king."

"Atlantis?" Logan repeated. He nudged Richard. "Dick, isn't that where Aquaman is from?"

Kaldur'ahm's eyes widened at the name of their king. "You know of our great Arthur Curry?" he asked.

Richard bit his lip. He thought back to how he nearly killed the man months before up in the Watchtower. Before the invasion had occurred, Richard did his due diligence to make sure that the Atlantean was alive & well after their encounter. Richard nodded. "Yeah, I...I do."

Kaldur'ahm nodded back. "So you know where my king is now, is this true?"

Richard arched his eyebrow. "No, I...I don't," he said softly. "The entire Justice League is M.I.A. right now, man. I'm sorry."

Kaldur'ahm sighed in disbelief. "It is just as I had expected," he muttered. "The rumors are true."

"Rumors?" Richard asked, stepping forward suddenly.

Kaldur'ahm looked up at Richard. His haunted pale eyes pierced Richard's soul. "My king is missing," Kaldur'ahm began. "We knew he was leaving on a quest with the Justice League, but as he went to go uphold his duties to the land, he failed to return back to the sea & to his people." Kaldur'ahm gazed up at the view of Jump City before them. "We heard the tremors in our kingdom & suspected that it was the reason for our king's departure. However, we did not realize that we were being invaded by monsters on land." Kaldur'ahm turned to Richard. "I have a theory. I believe that these wretched beasts have abducted our king."

Richard bit his lip, considering the claim the young Atlantean was making. Was it possible that these aliens, these...monsters, were capable of kidnapping Aquaman? It didn't seem plausible, seeing as the Dominators appeared to be more of primitive beings than anything else. But were they actually capable of abducting one of the members of the Justice League? If that was the case, then that meant that the League was aware of the invasion. Suddenly, a dark thought crept into Richard's mind. What if the reason he wasn't able to get in contact with the League was because of the Dominators? What if they kidnapped the entire Justice League? Richard felt his heart suddenly grow tight. If anything happened to Bruce…

"Oh, god," Richard muttered to himself.

Suddenly, there was an quick scratch of static in Richard's earpiece. Logan reacted to it as well. "Yo, dude, too loud!"

Richard groaned, raising a finger to his earpiece. "Nightwing here."

" _Dick!"_ cried Tim. " _Get back here ASAP!"_

Richard cursed to himself, then began sprinting towards the city. He glanced back at Logan & Kaldur'ahm, who began following a few moments after. "Come on," Richard called back. "The Titans need us."


	18. Chapter 18: Brothers in Arms

**Chpt. XVIII: Brothers in Arms**

Richard ran towards where his GPS system on his wrist was guiding him. With each passing second, he sprinted faster & faster, feeling panic wash over him. He was unsure of what the emergency is, but clearly if it was enough to call Richard back immediately, it must have been bad. Had there been another Dominator ship that crash landed? Was it another horde? Was it a horde of a different breed of Dominators? Richard felt frightened by each possibility. He didn't want to admit it, but he was way out of his depth. They all were.

Richard glanced back behind him. Logan was running behind him in the form of a cheetah, hoping to get the maximum speed he could with his abilities. Beside him was Kaldur'ahm, who was still following the two. Richard wasn't very sure whether he was hoping to work alongside Richard for the time being or not. He hadn't made his motives very clear. He most likely wanted to rescue Arthur & only rescue Arthur. But if he believed Richard could help him do this, then maybe it was worth keeping him around. Richard could use an extra set of hands on this situation.

When Richard found his way back to the warehouse, he skidded to a stop. His mouth was agape at the sight that he saw.

Before him were all of the Titans engaging in combat...with each other. Tim was helplessly fending off Conner's strong attacks while Rachel was fending off both Zatanna & Kori with her mystic abilities, casting spells & creating shields. A red & yellow streak zipped around Victor, causing the cyborg to struggle aiming his cannon at a single target. Meanwhile, Artemis was aiming her bow at M'gann, shooting explosive arrows at the floating Martian. A few of her arrows hit M'gann, but she caused herself to phase through the arrows, just like the Martian Manhunter was capable of.

Richard stared up at the fight taking place before him. What the hell was going on?

Logan finally reached Richard, but fully formed in his human self. "Whoa," he muttered. "What the hell?"

Richard bit his lip. Kaldur'ahm approached Richard & Logan & caught sight of the fight. "Who are they?"

Richard sighed. "The Titans," he gulped.

Richard ran into the fight, passing by Wally's streak of light & Kori's energy blast. He leaped up, landing near where Tim was. As he approached Robin, Conner ran towards the two, letting out a booming roar. The two leaped up, doing backflips over Conner. Richard felt weightless as his body glided over Conner's. His face glanced down at Conner's confused face &, for a split second, Richard noticed some strange glow around his forehead.

Richard landed behind the Superboy, standing beside Robin. Richard turned to the young boy. "I was gone for less than an hour!" he cried.

Tim took a step back, dodging a right hook from Conner. "I know!" he called back.

Richard reached for his escrima sticks & shoved one into Conner's lower back, sending a bolt of electricity up his spine. "What the hell is going on, Tim?"

Conner rose up & swung his fist back at Richard. Richard rolled backward, dodging the blow. He looked up at the Kryptonian. Tim leaped up & swung his staff at Conner, hitting the bridge of his nose. Conner stumbled back, giving Tim & Richard a few moments to relax as he was stunned. "I dunno," Tim began to explain. "One second, we were fighting off the aliens, & the next thing we know, half of the team started wailing on us! We're just defending ourselves!"

Richard gritted his teeth in frustration. Someone had done something to the team. Was it the Dominators? Did exposure to them cause some sort of...aggressive reaction within the Titans? Richard wasn't sure. He sighed. "Okay, so, who is defending themselves right now?"

Before Tim could respond, Conner rose up & swung a fist up into Tim's stomach, causing him to fly back in the air. The blow looked strong enough to break the boy in half. Tim flew back, landing on his back several feet away. Richard turned to spot Conner running towards him like a Spanish bull.

Richard sidestepped & thrusted his arms back, swinging Conner's large mass further back. Conner tripped as he passed by Richard, & rolled across the ground. Richard glanced up & saw Kori gazing upon him. Her eyes began to blow bright green as her hands illuminated with the similar ray of light. Kori sent a blast of energy down towards Richard. Richard acted quickly, backflipping once more & dodging the attack. The impact of the blast sent Richard back several feet, however. He struggled to stand, but managed to make it onto his feet in time to see Kori swooping down in the air, flying towards him.

Just then, a purple wall of energy rose up before Richard. Kori's floated to a stop, coming inches from impact against the force field. Richard caught sight of Kori's face. Her eyes were sharp & deadly. It was horrifying to see someone as calm & sweet & kind look so harsh & angry. It was unnatural, & it broke Richard's heart. What did the get the Titans into?

"Nightwing!" called Rachel from afar, holding one hand up towards him, casting the force field, & another hand tossing balls of dark energy towards Zatanna. She looked as though she was struggling. "Get out of there!" she cried.

Richard reacted swiftly. He began running towards Rachel, dodging a blast of energy from Kori. He then tripped as a rope tightened around Richard's feet, causing him to fall on his feet. He flipped himself over on the ground, struggling to free his feet. Richard glanced up & spotted Roy aiming his bow down at Richard. Just as he was about to release his string, yellow lightning zipped past Roy, & suddenly his bow was unstrung. Roy grunted in anger as Wally appeared several feet away, swinging Roy's arrow around. "Looking for this?" Wally taunted.

"Speedster," Roy growled, then proceeded to chase after Wally. The young kid ran literal circles around Roy, causing even Richard to get disorientated.

Suddenly, Evelyn appeared beside him, kneeling down by his legs. She grabbed a short blade & began cutting through the rope that Roy had shot around his legs. "This is crazy," she muttered.

Richard sighed. "You're telling me."

Finally, Artemis cut through Richard's restraints, then stood up. "What's the plan, boss?" she asked.

Richard bit his lip, glancing up around him. Kaldur'ahm had begun fighting off Conner with his aquatic whips. Logan had transformed into a large green bear & was fending off Victor. Rachel was still defending herself from both Kori & Zatanna, while Tim had engaged with M'gann in hand to hand combat. Richard considered the situation quickly & carefully. As long as M'gann was not using telepathy on anyone, the team should alright. Robin needed to keep that encounter close & tight. Logan would be able to hold off Cyborg for a while if he switched up his transformations constantly. Richard had no idea what Kadur'ahm was capable of, especially when up against Superboy, but he needed to place his trust in the Atlantean. Rachel was alone. Raven couldn't take on the witch & Starfire. Richard needed to intervene.

Richard turned to Evelyn. "Artemis, I need you to hold off Arsenal. Restrain him, knock him out, whatever. He's a strong fighter & is even deadlier with the long range bow. Handle him, but do not kill him. He's still a Titan."

Evelyn nodded, then rushed over to where she spotted Roy. Richard caught sight of Arsenal wailing on Wally with his fists. Somehow, he managed to stop the speedster in his tracks. Richard saw Evelyn leap up onto Roy's back & bring her fist down on his neck, causing Roy to fall down onto one knee. Wally sped out from under Roy, then made a quick circle back. Wally ran past Roy &, faster than Richard could really notice, swung a fist at Roy's face, causing him to collapse. Evelyn stood up from Roy's body, but just before she could react, Wally zipped by again, & suddenly Evelyn had moved fifty feet away from the spot. A large green blast had been shot right where Evelyn was standing. Richard caught sight of Artemis, being carried in Wally's arms. Richard turned in his spot to find Starfire sending energy blasts out towards Richard & towards where Rachel stood. Richard acted quickly.

Richard ran towards Rachel & dodged each blast from Starfire with ease. He made his way around Rachel's force field, making his way towards Zatanna the witch. Zatanna began chanting a spell, waving her fingers at Richard. Richard swung his leg back, reaching high. His foot connected to Zatanna's head, knocking her off of her feet. She stumbled on the ground, but began chanting again. Richard didn't know what spell she was about to cast, but he couldn't let her cast anything.

"Ecnelis!" Richard called. Suddenly, Zatanna's voice was silent. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Richard grinned. He knew Zatanna teaching him that ONE spell would be useful.

Zatanna glared up at Richard. She stood up slowly, reaching for her large hat. She removed the hat from her head & dropped it on the ground, letting her dark black hair wash over her shoulders. Richard's eyes darted to where her other hand was. Her removing her hat was meant to distract him from her subtle movements as she drew a small knife from her waistband.

Richard dodged the next slash that Zatanna swung, stepping back & to the side with each attempt to cut him. Zatanna then stabbed straight forward, sending the blade too close to Richard. Richard held the small blade within the palms of his gloved hands, keeping the blade less than an inch from stabbing him. Richard brought his leg up quickly, disarming the witch. Richard tossed the small blade to the side, then swung a fist at Zatanna, knocking her out cold. She collapsed on the ground as though sleep had hit her with a train.

Richard turned quickly to spot Raven fending off Kori with her bare hands. The two were engaged in close hand to hand combat. Kori's hands were still bright green as her fists flew through the air like glow sticks. Rachel deflected each blow with her wrists, stepping back with each attack on her. Rachel's face was weak & tired. She wouldn't be able to hold off Kori for much longer.

Richard ran towards Rachel & swung his escrima stick into Kori's side, electrocuting her for a moment. She cried out in pain, then swung a hard fist at Richard. He held his ground, not stumbling back, then swung a kick into Kori's leg. She dropped onto the ground & just as Richard was about to swing the stick down into Kori once more, she flew across the ground, then floated up in the air over Rachel & Richard.

"Star!" Rachel cried. "Baby, please, don't do this!"

Starfire gazed down at Rachel emotionlessly. She then turned her gaze to Richard. As her glowing eyes stared down at Richard, he remembered something he told her so long ago. " _Never let them take the light from behind your eyes."_ He felt as though, despite her eyes radiating like green solar flames, she was so lost & that the light & goodness in her eyes was truly gone.

"Star," Richard called out, "if you can hear me...if you're in there...please, fight this. Fight whatever is messing with your head. You know this isn't you!" Kori's eyes stared back at Richard blankly. She looked hollow & empty, as though there was nothing left within her.

Just before she thrusted her hands out for a new attack, Richard was knocked back several feet by a heavy mass. He sat upright on the ground & looked over. He saw Robin, laying beside Richard on his back. He groaned as he sat upright, gasping for air. "Conner," Tim panted.

Richard acted quickly. He grabbed Tim by the collar & yanked him up, moving the young boy & himself from the middle of the battle. Just as they moved, Superboy suddenly came down on the ground, causing the concrete beneath him to be crushed into rubble.

Richard gasped as the Kryptonian's deadly stare began to glow bright red. Richard lunged at Tim, covering Robin's body with his own. They braced for the heat vision blast emitting from Conner's eyes, singeing the upper hairs on Richard's head. Richard hissed as he felt the heat vision almost burn him to a crisp. After a few moments, the heat vision died down. Richard stood upright & readied himself. Conner approached Richard slowly with his fists clenched. He rose his fist high up &, before he could bring his fist down on Richard, a gunshot rang out in the battle before them.

Conner brought his fist down to his face & stared intensely at it. He spotted a smoky dent within his skin. Someone had shot a gun at Superboy. Richard arched his eyebrow, then turned towards where the gunshot was fired from. Nearby a parked red motorcycle was a man in a leather jacket & two pistols in both his hands. On his head, he wore a familiar red helmet.

"Missed me?" Jason Todd called in a mechanical voice underneath his helmet. Richard couldn't see his face, but he knew that underneath that hood, Jason had the smuggest grin on his face.

Jason approached Conner from the side, firing his rounds into Conner's body. With each step he took, he fired a shot into the boy over & over. Eventually, he stood inches away from Conner & gazed up at the boy. Richard now imagined that underneath the mask, Jason was confused. "What the hell?" Jason muttered.

Conner raised his arm to swing at Jason, but Tim's staff blocked the blow, defending Jason from being attacked from the Kryptonian. Tim grunted as he struggled to hold back to strength of Superman's clone. Richard reached into his utility belt & grabbed a small explosive with an adhesive exterior. He placed the explosive on Conner's chest, then shoved both Jason & Tim back onto the ground. Richard felt the pressure from the blast behind him pushing him further. Richard glanced back & caught sight of the explosion stunning Conner. His shirt was now torn to shreds, tattering the Kryptonian symbol on his chest. Conner gazed down at his shirt, then looked up at Richard. His gaze was beyond furious.

"Uh oh," Tim muttered. "I think you pissed him off."

Jason scoffed. "Who the hell IS this guy?"

Before anyone could answer, Conner ran to the three sons of Batman & began swinging his fists at each one. For a moment, Conner could hit nobody. Richard dodged each attack with fluidity as Tim leaped over each punch & swung his leg over to kick Conner in the head & chest. Jason deflected each punch with his wrists with ease, but after a few attacks that he blocked, Jason began to groan from pain of each attack.

Richard brought his knee up to Conner, causing him to double over. He turned to Jason. "Jason, you can't let him hit you. He's Kryptonian!"

Jason turned to Richard. "Like Superman?" he cried.

Richard dodged a sudden right hand hook from Conner. "Yeah, dude!"

Jason groaned, swinging a punch at Conner. His fist connected with Conner's face, causing his knuckles to crack loudly. Jason cursed to himself. "Damn, you weren't kidding!"

Richard bent down low & swept his legs under Conner's, tripping him on his own footing. Richard turned to Jason. "What took you so long to find us?" he asked, half jokingly, half serious.

Jason let out a soft chuckle under his hood. "People have been crying about monster sightings for days now. I just followed the breadcrumbs &, of course, I found you in the middle." Jason shook his head. "I thought you would be the one out of us two to stay out of trouble!"

Richard let out a sarcastic laugh, but was interrupted by Conner's sudden fierce punch. It sent Richard back against the ground. Robin bent down to help Richard up as Jason fended off Superboy for a few moments. Richard felt his jaw clench as him & his comrades took on Superboy altogether. Richard began to feel himself being physically drained from fighting. He dodged each attack with ease, but as he saw Jason & Tim begin to get more & more attacked, he knew that he couldn't let his team suffer any longer. He considered using the Kryptonite that he had to use in case Superman was ever compromised, but...this was Conner. He couldn't do that to Conner. He was still a Titan, even if he was losing his mind right now.

" _Dick, are you there?"_ called a familiar woman's voice on his earpiece.

Richard brought his finger up to his earpiece, dodging another attack from Superboy. "Harper?" he said.

" _What? No, this is Barbara."_

Richard gasped in surprise, distracted for a brief moment. He suffered a Kryptonian blow to his stomach, falling onto the ground. Richard ground, speaking into the earpiece. "Babs, what the hell are you doing?"

" _Saving your life,"_ Barbara answered. " _I've been tracking you & the Titans for a good while, but I managed to catch surveillance footage of what happened with the Titans."_

"An explanation would be really good right about now, Barbara!"

" _Okay, one sec,"_ Barbara said frantically. " _The footage shows one of the aliens activating some generator within the warehouse. It set off a blast of energy that altered some of the Titans' minds, but it was moved by some of the aliens."_ Richard groaned. A generator caused the half of the Titans to be brainwashed into killing the rest? What the hell was going on? " _I've been keeping an eye on a trail from the heat signature of the generator. It's nearby, but you need to shut it down."_

Richard nodded. "Okay, where do I go?"

" _Head South, close to the outskirts of Jump City."_

Richard grunted, making his way towards the opposite end of the city. He got farther & farther from the fight between the Titans until he noticed a red motorcycle. It was the bike that Jason had arrived on. Richard grinned. He could borrow it, right? After all, Jason was notorious for "borrowing" things. Richard could return it. Richard swung his leg over the motorcycle & sat down on the seat. The engine was still on. Richard placed his hand over the handlebar & revved the engine, then began driving out with Barbara guiding him.


	19. Chapter 19: Enemy of my Enemy

**Chpt. XIX: Enemy of My Enemy**

Richard brought the bike to a stop on a secluded road in the woods. How the hell had he come this far out of Jump City? It looked as though there would be some sort of werewolf that would appear out of the woods to harm Richard. Richard scoffed at the thought. There was a much larger threat than werewolves.

Richard brought his hand up to his ear. "You still there, Babs?"

" _Yeah,"_ Barbara answered. " _Start heading North off-road. You're going to need to actually go through the woods."_

Richard sighed. He nodded in compliance & began trekking uphill, into the woods. He gazed up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set again. Richard & the Titans had literally been out on the streets for almost two days now, & it felt as though nothing had been accomplished. This was not okay. In fact, the team was most certainly far from okay. Richard had abandoned the team twice already. First, they came out brainwashed, & now, as he was taking a stroll through the woods, they could very well be dead. Richard shuddered at the thought of them dying on him. All of the people he brought back. The people who trusted him, & those who knew not to, they would all be dead. The mere idea of their deaths weighed down over Richard. He couldn't let that happen.

" _What did they look like?"_ Barbara suddenly asked through the earpiece in Richard's ear.

Richard stopped in his tracks. He glanced around him for a moment. "What did WHO look like?"

" _The aliens,"_ Barbara answered. " _Were they, like, E.T. aliens?"_

Richard sighed. "No, they're the kind of aliens that ripped a hole through John Hurt's chest."

Richard heard Barbara gasp on the other end of the earpiece. " _Oh my gosh,"_ she muttered.

Richard sighed. He continued to make his trail through the woods, struggling to find his footing as he went uphill. He cleared his throat. "Barbara...I'm lost."

" _Just keep making your way straight, & I'll let you know when you're at the right spot," _Barbara said.

"No, that's not what I mean." Richard bit his lip, trying to find the right wording. "What...what are you doing? Like, you're helping me, but...how?"

Barbara stayed silent for a moment. " _What are you asking me, Dick? How did I manage to track you down & keep surveillance on you & your team?"_

Richard nodded, taking another step through the dark woods. "Yeah, I guess."

Barbara sighed. " _Well...I mean, after everything that's happened, this...this became my hobby. I lost my life doing what we did as Robin & Batgirl, so...I made a new life for myself. I'm doing the same work, fighting crime, but...I'm just using a keyboard instead of my fists."_

Richard scoffed. "So you're a hacker now or something?"

" _Well, yeah, I guess so."_

Richard shook his head, glancing around for any signs of some sort of alien generator. He saw nothing. The sun was setting lower. Soon it'd be pitch black. "Barbara, I just don't see how you could've gotten into this. This doesn't seem right."

" _Well, it was my hacking into that warehouse's security feed that led me to find your Titans, so, you should be thanking me!"_

Richard was caught off guard by Barbara's sudden ferocity in her tone of voice. He had never heard her speak so angrily & harshly. Richard knew that this was genuine anger, & not brainwashing done by aliens. No, she was truly mad at Richard.

Barbara sighed, speaking again. " _This is what I want, Dick. What I'm doing...this is the best way for me to do this. I'm out of the field, away from the actual danger. No one can hurt me again. I figured you of all people would've understood. I figured you would approve."_

Richard bit his lip. He thought back to Harper Row & how the troubles that haunted her after her use of her technological hacking skills got her into trouble with Cadmus. That was a fate that Richard could've helped prevent, but he didn't. He could've prevented Barbara from getting shot as well, but he didn't. If Barbara went down this road, she could share Harper's fate...possibly worse.

" _Richard, say something, please,"_ Barbara said through the earpiece.

Richard sighed. "Babs, you know I just want you to be careful. That's it, that's all I want."

Barbara didn't speak for a moment. Richard glanced around his surroundings, but focused on what he heard from Barbara. Suddenly, he heard a sniffle. " _I know,"_ Barbara said through tears.

Richard felt a pain grow in his chest. He wasn't lying. Barbara was someone he loved & adored, & he wished things were different. He wished he hadn't failed her, costing her her legs. He wished that things would go back to how they were, & that they could be together again. He wished he could fix things, but...that was too much to ask for. He needed to take things one problem at a time, starting with the Dominators.

" _Make a hard right,"_ Barbara said. " _The generator shouldn't be too far from there."_

Richard nodded, turning to the right to continue his path. He stumbled across hard tree stumps & large overgrown fields of grass. He heard the subtle sounds of an animal skirmishing in the woods. Richard almost paid no mind to it, but then he heard the scream.

Richard acted on instinct. He rushed over to the direction that the sound of the scream came from. Richard leaped over tree trunks & ducked over large branches, making his way through the dark forest. It was difficult to see through the area, & he wasn't traversing an urban jungle. He was merely making his way based on gut feeling, hoping that he wasn't too late.

Finally, Richard came across a horrific sight. Before him stood a Dominator with a long skinny arm outstretched towards a limp body. Richard barely saw the victim, as his focus was turned on the alien. Richard reached for his escrima sticks on his back & connected them together, creating his escrima staff. He lunged out towards the monster & swung his staff at the beast, electrocuting it for a brief moment. The Dominator swung back, however, having not been stunned by the blow. The Dominator's arm sent Richard flying through the air, hitting his back against a tree, almost crushing his back. Richard fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Richard glanced back up to spot the alien approach Richard slowly. However, the monster stopped in its place & turned around to face something. The victim that it was dragging across the ground was suddenly on their feet. Richard could spot the victim, a young man, in an orange bodysuit. The man was holding something long & brown. A branch? The man called out something to the beast, distracting it from Richard. The Dominator roared at the man, then swung its long arm at the man, hitting him on his head. The man landed several feet away, completely disorientated. The tree branch landed near Richard.

Richard acted fast. He took the branch & broke it in half, creating a sharp jagged end on the stick. He ran up behind the beast swiftly, & leaped up high, performing a frontflip. Richard brought the stick high up, then brought the makeshift blade back down into the back of the Dominator, piercing its thick, rough skin. A green pus-like substance shot out of the wound, hitting Richard's face. Richard groaned as he stepped away from the screeching beast, wiping his face. The Dominator finally fell onto the ground lifelessly.

Richard let out a deep breath. He turned to where the man was. He was laying on his stomach, struggling to stand on his feet. Richard approached the victim slowly, then kneeled down beside the man. "It's okay," he said softly. "It's over." Richard helped the man up to his feet, then caught a good view of the man's face. Richard gasped as the man looked up at Richard. He stood upright, being taller by a few inches at least. Richard could see the muscles built underneath his bodysuit. His shaggy dark hair stuck to his forehead with sweat. He had stubble formed around his chin & lips, which had not existed since Richard last saw this man. However, that was years ago. Twenty years could have passed, & Richard would've still recognized him anywhere. His devilish grin sent the same chills down his spine as it did all those years ago.

Nolan Drake arched his eyebrow at Richard with a smirk, eyeing him up & down. "Dick Grayson," he said softly. "Look how big you've grown."

Richard's mind raced with a million thoughts. How was Nolan Drake here? Why was he here, right now, being attacked by a Dominator, & not at Blackgate? Why the hell was he not dead at Blackgate for all the heinous crimes he committed? Why the hell was he alive? Richard sighed, shutting his eyes tightly. He had just saved this man from a Dominator without realizing who he was. The man who tortured Richard & dozens of children, & murdering hundreds of people, young boys & older, was facing death. Richard just saved his life.

" _Dick,"_ Barbara called from Richard's earpiece. " _You still there?"_ Richard proceeded to shut off his earpiece for the time being, glaring at his old foe.

Nolan approached Richard, prompting him to step back. "I like the new dubs. I almost didn't recognize you under this black & blue, but I'll always remember your face under that mask. And those moves, those flips…" Nolan let out a soft chuckle, causing the hairs on Richard's back to curl up. "That's the work of the last Flying Grayson. I'd recognize that anywhere."

Richard's hand clenched into a fist. His gaze pierced Nolan. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Nolan smiled, nodding to his right, out into the distance. "Blackgate had a power outage. The inmates all took advantage of the open door, but I...I guess I just got unlucky," he said, gesturing to the dead alien. Nolan looked back up at Richard. "But you saved my life. I am forever in your debt! My knight in shining armor!" Nolan bowed to Richard mockingly, then glanced back up at him, his smirk as sharp & deadly as ever.

Richard ignored the remark, considering what he was hearing. There was a power outage at Blackgate? It was probably caused by the Dominators. But, if Blackgate was powerless over in Gotham, then...what did that mean for Gotham City? Richard cursed to himself, haunted by the thought of what mayhem could possibly be taking place in his home. The fact that the Justice League was MIA...it left Richard terrified.

Nolan glanced at the dead Dominator carcass, then nudged it with his foot. "That's disgusting," he muttered. Nolan turned to Richard. "I mean, it's not like Blackgate had any lookers, because obviously I'm the sexiest inmate of 2017, but still, come on, this is one ugly son of a bitch."

Richard eyed Nolan Drake, then sighed. He glanced at the dead Dominator. "It's an alien," he muttered.

Nolan glanced back up at Richard, arching his eyebrow. "Say that again?"

Richard glared at Nolan. "You heard me, man. It's an alien."

Nolan stared at Richard, then turned to the alien corpse. Nolan raised a shaky finger at the body, then slowly poked at it. He stared at it, surveying the entirety of the Dominator's dead mass. Richard was uncomfortable by how intrigued Nolan seemed to be. Nolan nodded. "You know, I'm well aware of who I am. I'm not incapable of comprehending my insanity. After all, doesn't losing one's mind bring enlightenment?" Richard stared back at Nolan blankly. Nolan continued. "I'm well aware of what I've done, & all of the cruel, inhumane sins I've committed. I'm okay with living with that, because I've lived with heavier pain than that." Nolan glanced back down at the corpse. "But knowing that there are...real monsters in the universe...like, literal monsters, that terrifies even ME."

Nolan Drake stood up & sighed. "I've seen what District Attorney Harvey Dent has become. I've seen Bane break bones mercilessly. I've come across the clowns, Dick, but...this...what the hell can prepare you for this?"

Richard was speechless. What was he hearing? Was Nolan Drake trying to open up to Richard? Was he trying to gain his sympathy? Richard wanted to believe that the monster that he grew so much disgust & hatred for could feel terrified by something worse than him, but...that changed nothing. Richard was still repulsed by the idea of Nolan even attempting to come off as honest. Honest was far from who this man was. He was the Devil incarnate. He was the epitome of evil. He was darkness manifested into a 20-something year old man with a hunger for chaos. Nolan knew who he was? Yes, so did Richard. Richard was well aware of who this man was. He blew up Gotham Academy. He blew up a coffee shop. He raped Cullen Row. He kidnapped young boys & forced them to work in an underground black market, & killed them if they didn't. He killed Cheyenne. This man deserved to die. Richard had the chance to kill him, & he didn't. He had the chance now, & he missed it. Richard felt his hands inch towards his escrima stick. He could do it here & now.

No. No, but...he couldn't. The effects of Flashpoint changed things. The Academy wasn't destroyed, despite Richard recollection of that happening. Cheyenne was no longer dead, now. Things were different. Did that make everything that Nolan did...not matter? He still did what he did, but...in another timeline. So who was he now? Could Richard still hold this man accountable for his crimes?

Nolan began to approach Richard. "So, what are you going by these days? You're not the little Robin, are you? I know the Bat still has a little Robin following his shadow, but I see something else in you. A grown man with a new suit, new identity. I can tell, you changed, Dick. You hated change, but you went through the biggest change of us all, didn't you? You're something else."

Richard's grip over his escrima stick tightened. "Back off, Drake."

"How's my little brother doing?" Nolan spat back. "Are you training him? Treating him well? Are you teaching him how to break laws behind a mask?"

"Don't you dare talk about him!"

"No, don't YOU dare talk about him!" Nolan cried, jerking his finger at Richard. "He's MY brother, MY blood! I'm the one who took care of him, gave him unconditional love & comfort when Jack & Janet weren't around!"

Richard shoved Nolan back. "You lost your chance to be a brother the moment you gave everything up to murder the Mayor & terrorize Gotham! I'm the one who made sure he grew up to be NOTHING like you!"

"So he could grow up to be like you, huh?" Nolan snarled. "A self righteous killer. Because that's what you are, Dick. You're not much different from me. The only difference is the mask & cape. You know it."

Richard felt his heart beat fast. He felt as though his rage would cause his chest to explode. He felt his finger tips grow numb. He wanted to kill Nolan. He wanted to end it, here & now. He hadn't seen Nolan since that night at City Hall of Gotham, but it felt as though the two had been fighting for years. He wanted to rid the world of one more piece of scum. Richard knew no one would blame him for killing Nolan. Even Tim wouldn't mind. Right? He could kill Nolan...just like Nolan said he would. Richard would kill again, & become everything he stood against. He would be proving Nolan right. Nolan would win.

Richard let out a frustrated roar as he stepped away from his enemy. He ran a hand through his hair, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. He was aggravated. Nolan Drake did that to Richard. Every second he spent with the man made his blood boil. He needed to relax. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in…

"Dick," Nolan muttered. Richard turned back & looked over at Nolan. He was staring out into something in the dark forest. Richard wasn't sure what he was looking at, but he turned in the direction that Nolan was gazing at. Richard gasped at what he saw.

Four large Dominators approached the two through the forest, stepping over tree bark & tree trunks. Richard felt himself begin to panic again as the monsters approached Richard & Nolan. "You've got a plan, right?" Nolan asked. "You've got this, don't you?"

"Shut up, Nolan," Richard gritted through his teeth. He kept his eyes trailed on the group of Dominators, keeping each one in his lane of vision. With the darkness working against Richard, he needed to take any precaution for any sudden movements. The Dominators each came out into the clearing, stepping near the fallen alien carcass. The glared down at the Dominator, then glanced back up at Richard.

" _Where are the metahumans?"_ said an echo of a deep voice. Richard was startled by the voice. It felt as though it was someone speaking, or rather, thinking to him. It was a voice within his mind, but...not his own.

"Did you hear that?" Nolan cried out loud. "Please tell me you heard that."

"Nolan, I swear to God," Richard growled. Richard turned to the Dominators. He noticed the pulsating brain-like organs that was visible on their foreheads. They were glowing red. Richard cleared his throat. "Are you addressing me?" Richard asked the Dominators. He couldn't believe he was trying to communicate with these beasts, but he was.

The Dominators continued to gaze back. " _Yes, Richard Grayson,"_ the voice echoed in his mind. " _Where are the metahumans?"_

Richard shook his head softly. "Wh-what metahumans?"

" _The metahumans!"_ the voice boomed in Richard's mind. " _The metahumans of Earth pose as an imminent threat for our entire universe, & we must eradicate them!"_

"What the hell is a metahuman?" Nolan muttered softly.

Richard bit his lip. Metahumans…like the Titans. Changeling, Cyborg, Raven & Starfire, Zatanna, Wally & Superboy. Even Cheyenne...all of the superpowered humans, these were who the Dominators were referring to. People like Clark, Diana, & Arthur...even Barry, wherever the hell the real Barry was. They kidnapped the League because they were metahumans, & they were going to kill them. But why take Bruce? What purpose did he have?

One of the Dominators glanced directly at another. " _We have received intel about a group of adolescent individuals at a secluded area. They are engaging in combat with one another."_ The Dominators stared back at the one speaking to them. " _They appear to be metahumans."_

Richard cursed to himself. He came out the way out here to try & shut off the generator that Barbara claimed was affecting the Titans' minds. He still needed to shut it off, but, it wouldn't matter if the Dominators got to them first. He needed to act fast.

" _Bring them aboard,"_ the Dominator answered.

"No!" Richard cried. The Dominators each turned to Richard. "You can't take them! Not those guys, you can't abduct them." The Dominators had no reaction to Richard's pleas. They turned back towards where the warehouse was, leaving to go capture the Titans. "Take me!"

The Dominators suddenly turned back to Richard. Nolan cleared his throat from behind Richard. "What?" he hissed. "Are you crazy?"

Richard disregarded the remark, nodding towards the aliens. "You believe metahumans are a threat because of their abilities, don't you? Men who can fly, men who can alter time & reality, they ARE threats. Both to our own world & the entire universe. But those few metahumans out there, don't take them. They're useless. They're lacking their full potential. They're inexperienced. They're unprofessional & unskillful."

" _They are metahumans."_

"They are liabilities!" Richard called back. "But you can have me. I'm not a metahuman. I'm a normal human being with a heightened level of strength & acrobatic skills. I'm trained in various forms of martial arts & combat. I have deduction skills & a certain level of technological understandings. I can kick ass & hack into computer systems. I have can endure an immense amount of pain & still function for you. I am at the peak of my abilities as a human, & believe me, you won't find another like me. Probe me, dissect me, open me up & chop me into pieces! Just take me!"

The air seemed to dangle over everyone with daggers, causing the most threatening tension. Richard swallowed, waiting for a response from the Dominators. Nolan was breathing shaky breaths heavily behind Richard. Richard could feel his very body shiver in fear near these monsters. Finally, a Dominator turned to another & made a noise out loud. It seemed to be some sort of form of speech, only one that Richard could not identify. It must've been the Dominators' native tongue. Richard shuddered. What were the aliens saying? The Dominator turned to Richard. " _Come."_

The Dominators quickly began to approach Richard to apprehend him when he turned to face Nolan. "Listen to me, Nolan. There's a generator nearby. I need you to deactivate it."

"What?" Nolan cried. "What is happening? Did you just offer yourself up to these monsters?" He began to panic, unable to hear what Richard was telling him.

Richard stepped towards Nolan. "Listen to me!" Richard growled. Suddenly, Nolan was attentive. "A generator. It's nearby, somewhere in these woods. Find it, & deactivate it. Do you understand?"

Nolan nodded. "Yes, I-I think."

Suddenly, bony arms wrapped themselves around Richard's arms, holding them tight behind his back. Richard groaned. "Good, because the fate of the world may rest on your hands, Nolan."

Richard caught sight of Nolan's horrified face as Richard was dragged away by the Dominators by force, unable to break free from their clutches. He glanced around frantically in the dark woods, unable to catch sight of anything at all, but then finally brought his sight up to the night sky above. He caught a quick glanced at the stars & the bright full moon hanging over him & his planet. It may be the very last time he ever sees this sight on Earth again.


	20. Chapter 20: Chosen

**Chpt. XX: Chosen**

Richard woke up cold. His back was against a hard, metallic surface. He shivered at the cool air & even colder metal pressed against his back. He felt tight iron clamps over his chest, restraining him. He was unable to shift or move at all. Richard felt his bare feet struggle to inch their way out of his capture, but he was also restrained with a metal clamp by his feet. Richard panicked. He glanced around him, seeing nothing but darkness. A light above him shone down, revealing his condition. He appeared to be unharmed. Richard was suddenly even more terrified. They hadn't harmed him yet, but...they were going to do it now. Whatever was going to happen, Richard would now be awake for it.

Suddenly, Richard heard a soft humming vibration from below him. He felt his entire body shift, pulling his body low on his back. He was being rotated onto his back. Or was he being lifted up from his back? Richard's mind began to race. Had he lost his sense of direction? Where the hell was he?

" _Begin observational procedure,"_ echoed a familiar voice in Richard's mind. Richard felt his heart raced. It was a Dominator. What had happened when they brought Richard aboard their ship? Richard's memory from the last few hours was foggy. Had it been hours? Or was it days? What the hell happened to him?

Suddenly, Richard experienced an electrical shock coursing through his entire body. It started from his head, making its way down to his feet. Once the bolt of electricity went through, he began to breathe heavier. He felt his heart beat faster along. He smelt a burning scent. It was most likely him, burning from the tormenting electrical shock. Then it happened again. And again. And again. And again.

Richard gritted his teeth, enduring the pain. He had no idea how long this electrical torture went on for. It was long enough for Richard to feel as though his mind was being stripped away from him. Richard fought to cling to the memories that he did have. The good times he did spend with Bruce, with Barbara, with Cheyenne, & with the Titans. He began seeing people's faces, but, lost recollection of their names. There was...Garfield. Rachel was there. Victor was there. Ko...Kor...the redhead with the beautiful green eyes. Kori, that was it. He remembered her now. He remembered Jacob...no, Jason. And Tim. He remembered Ronald, the archer. He remembered the Speedster, Wally, except...he was ginger. Richard knew he hadn't met a ginger before. What was happening to him?

Suddenly, Richard felt himself being forced underwater. Richard panicked, struggling to free himself, but the metallic machine that he was clamped onto kept him from making such movements. Richard knew he couldn't break free, not anytime soon. Richard began slowing his breathing, keeping his mouth shut. He held his breath, not allowing any oxygen to escape his mouth. He felt his pulse slow down, & his heart slowly began to calm down. Suddenly, more memories of people he knew in his life flooded back into his mind, washing over him. Richard felt comfortable suddenly. He felt...relaxed. These familiar faces brought a good feeling to Richard.

Richard felt himself begin to feel drowsy as his eyes fluttered shut. Richard struggled to keep them open, despite seeing absolutely nothing in his surroundings. Where was he? He knew he was on the ship of the Dominators, & that he was being tortured, but...how was he experiencing this? He couldn't see anything. What was happening to him? A million questions raced through his mind. What was the plan? How would he escape? Could he escape? Would he ever see his friends again? Would he ever see Cheyenne again? Or Roy? Would he see Tim & Jason? Would he see Logan, or Victor, or Rachel? Would he see Kori or Conner again? What about Barbara? He wanted to see her again. What about Bruce? Would he see anyone again?

Suddenly, the machine began to whir & buzz, & Richard was hoisted up from his aquatic hell, bringing him back into a place of darkness & oxygen. He was very much alive. He glanced around, & he could finally see glowing lights slowly illuminate the room he was in. In front of him were four Dominators, tall & slender, staring back at Richard. Richard looked down & saw nothing in front of him, other than his bare feet. He was placed in a gray pair of pants, but, his chest seemed exposed. He didn't look wet...or burnt...what the hell had just happened to him?

" _The human was correct,"_ echoed the Dominator. " _He could endure an immense amount of pain."_

" _The human was able to survive underwater for seven minutes. That is truly a feat,"_ spoke another Dominator within Richard's mind. " _He does not even obtain the filaments that are present within aquatic organisms."_

Richard stared back at the Dominators. He knew what they were doing now. They were testing him. They tortured him for data about his endurance capabilities...to see if Richard was lying about himself. To see if he really was the ideal human specimen.

Suddenly, the Dominators began speaking to one another out loud in their strange native tongue. Richard struggled to understand what it was that they were saying, but he knew he wouldn't figure it out. Whatever they were saying, it wasn't something they wanted Richard to hear in his mind. Unless they were addressing him, the Dominators didn't have to tell Richard anything. He was their prisoner.

One Dominator, larger than the rest, stepped forth towards Richard. " _Throughout the universe, there was a tremendous shift,"_ the voice began to say. " _This shift altered things. It altered reality itself. History changed. People changed. Time changed. Species that should've never existed are now some of the most ruthless races in the universe. We are now threatened by Apokolips & the Reach. The Earth, however, falls in the center of these threats."_

"Why is Earth a threat?" Richard asked. "Because of the metahumans?"

" _Yes,"_ the voice answered. " _These metahumans pose as a threat in an inevitable conflict with the rest of the universe, one of which poses as an even larger threat. The one responsible of altering reality. Its name echoes throughout the cosmos. It goes by the name Barry Allen."_

Richard felt his heart skip a beat. The Dominators knew about Flashpoint. The alterations to the fabric of reality was felt across the universe, felt by these Dominators. That's why the Dominators invaded Earth. They came because of Barry. Barry Allen brought the Dominators to Earth.

" _There was another echo that has come across our universe. This echo is one of a legend. It is the legend of the Gray Sun. The sun that resembled a winged being with the ability of flight. The sun that is loved by many, but lost the one that has its heart echoed out to us. Everyone who felt the pulsating shift in reality heard this echo, this name that was called out to us. Species have searched galaxies for this sun, from our kind, to the Reach, to the Kroloteans, & even the Tamaraneans. We expected to find a celestial being, some God within the stars. Instead, this echo led us to Earth." _The Dominator approached Richard slowly. " _We realized that we have finally found the Gray Sun."_

" _Gray Sun!"_ chanted the other Dominators. The harmony in their voices frightened Richard, making him feel a sense of panic. " _Gray Sun! Gray Sun! Gray Sun!"_

" _You are that echo, Richard Grayson. You are the legend that the universe called out. The one that shall find love, experience betrayal, & see death in your life. You are the Constant. We arrived to Earth & sent out a signal, one which you brought your metahumans to. You are the Constant we searched for. Now we have you."_

Richard thought back to what he had just heard. He remembered someone referring to Richard as the Constant. Was it Jaime Reyes? No, it wasn't. It was the Scarab. The blue beetle on his spine took over his mind months ago, providing a cryptic message for Richard. It referred to skies opening for those who would dominate over him. It was clear that it was a reference to the Dominators. The Scarab described them coming for the one who controls time & alters realities. That was the Flash. The Scarab knew about Barry Allen. Finally, the Scarab said that it would fall upon Richard to unite them, & that he was the Constant. He would unite somebody...possibly the Titans. Hopefully, the Titans were now free, & Nolan had shut off the mind controlling generator. But the Constant...the Scarab said that he was the Constant. What constant? Why would the alien beetle & the Dominators know Richard as a constant? A constant of what? Before Richard could ask himself any other questions, he felt himself grow drowsy. He felt his eyes finally shut closed, as his sense of smell, touch, sight, & sound began to fade away.


	21. Chapter 21: Home

**Chpt. XXI: Home**

Richard opened his eyes to find only darkness in front of him. After a few moments, that darkness adjusted to reveal something else in the vast space. There were sparkles in the darkness. Little twinkles of light shone around him, in the darkness. After a few moments, the darkness was more illuminated, allowing the clouds of the night sky to become visible. Richard realized that he was outside, & it was night out. Richard felt a sudden comfort within himself.

Suddenly, an arm crept over Richard's chest. Richard turned to the side to spot a familiar redhead with bright, blue eyes & a soft smile. At first, her name slipped out of his mind, but he quickly recalled the love of his life's name. "Barbara," he breathed.

Barbara bit her lip, gazing up into Richard's eyes. "Dick," she said softly.

Richard glanced down at where they were. They had laid down over a blanket on a grassy outland under the vast starry night. They were having a picnic, Richard remembered that. He remembered bringing Barbara out to this field on the outskirts of Metropolis. He remembered something telling him to take her out here...something in the back of his mind that told him to. Something told him that this was something he had wanted to do for a very long time.

Barbara sighed, staring up into the sky once more. "This is beautiful, Dick," she breathed.

Richard glanced over at Barbara once more, smiling at her pale skinned face. He glanced down at her hands interlinked over her chest, then noticed something. A soft sparkling glare shone from her finger. Richard reached for her finger, then held it in his hand with delicacy. He smiled when he identified the sparkle as an engagement ring. "It's beautiful," he said softly.

Barbara let out a soft laugh. "You did get it for me, after all," Barbara said softly.

Richard nodded with a smile. "Right, right, of course," he said. Richard gazed up into Barbara's eyes, then leaned over to kiss her. Their lips locked passionately. Richard pulled away, looking up into her sky blue eyes again. He felt as though he could get lost in them forever, & he was okay with that. "You're beautiful," Richard said softly.

Barbara leaned in to kiss Richard's cheek. "You're beautiful," she repeated back to him. "You're handsome, & wonderful, & brave, & so kind & caring. I'm in love with you, Richard Grayson. I love you so much."

Richard wrapped his arms around Barbara & began kissing her forehead. He wrapped his arms tightly, letting Barbara rest her head on his biceps. He held her tightly, allowing his chest to beat heavily. He felt his heart swell with love for Barbara Gordon, the love of his life. He knew from the moment he set his eyes on her that he would marry her one day. He was now the husband of Barbara Gordon, & she was now Barbara Grayson. He felt nothing but pure joy. For once in his life, he was happy. He could said he was truly happy.

Suddenly, a loud roaring hummed over Richard's head, startling him. Richard gazed up & saw a helicopter zoom over him & Barbara in the night sky. Richard rose up from where he laid to get a better look at the helicopter. Why was there a helicopter flying in the sky right now? Where the hell was it flying to? Why was it flying so close to the ground?

Barbara sat up & touched Richard's arm softly. "Babe, it's okay," she said. "Ignore it."

Richard glanced back down at Barbara. "What...what was that?"

Barbara shrugged. "I dunno. It might be a government chopper."

"Government?" Richard asked.

Barbara nodded, pointing out towards the distance. "Yeah, there's a government facility not too far from here. Cadmus, I think." Barbara smiled at Richard, tracing a finger up & down his chest. "That's why you said you wouldn't drive too far out, Dick. You told me you didn't want to raise any alarms or something."

Suddenly, images flashed in Richard's mind. Flashes of flames, of gunshots. Flashes of bodies falling over, bleeding out. Flashes of people trapped in cages & set in hospital beds, all crying out for help. Richard saw a dark haired man in a large water-filled container, wired to dozens of machines around him. On his chest, he bore a small red S on the corner of his shirt. Richard blinked, & the images were gone, & Barbara was staring back at him with concern. "Dick?" she said. "You...you okay?"

Richard let out a deep breath. What were those images? Who was that guy? What was he seeing? He realized he was breathing heavily. Why was he panicking? It wasn't Richard's anxiety. No, it was something else. Barbara raised a hand to Richard's chest. Richard placed his hand over Barbara's, feeling her hand against his heart beat. His heart was beating rapidly. Why was his heart beating so fast? Why did he feel so frightened?

Richard sighed, looking back down at Barbara. Barbara had her eyes shut, focusing on the sensation of Richard's heartbeat against her hand. Richard began noticing small features about Barbara. Her faint freckles taking form around her cheeks & the bridge of her nose made Richard smile softly. Her cheeks were rosy in contrast to the rest of her pale skin. Richard eyes traced up her cheeks, up towards her curly red locks of hair. He loved her hair when it was curled. It was naturally curly, something Richard noticed on his own after one of their first nights they spent together. Barbara always preferred to flat-iron her hair, keeping it easy to maintain. Richard adored her either way, but it was her natural appearance that kept Richard falling in love more & more with every moment.

"Hey," Barbara breathed. "Your heartbeat is slowing down." Barbara looked up at Richard, smiling. "Would you look at that." Richard blinked, looking into Barbara's eyes. He had forgotten for a moment about himself & his racing heartbeat. Barbara leaned close to Richard. "What were you thinking about?"

Richard smiled back at Barbara. He didn't speak again. He leaned in closer to Barbara, kissing her once more. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his body as they kissed. Barbara's arms wrapped around his neck as she brought her hips closer to Richard. Their legs intertwined, & Richard felt his heart beat out a samba for the rest of the night.

* * *

Richard sat at his desk of his apartment, going through the documents that he was meant to have organized by the end of the week. His boss over at Wayne Enterprises was incredibly adamant about following deadlines, despite the CEO, Mr. Wayne, always making himself lenient & flexible. Richard didn't necessarily hate his job; he loved it. He networked with the most amazing people, & the pay was excellent. It got him & Barbara the best kind of wedding imaginable. It helped Richard pay his student debt. In fact, his life was nearly perfect. Richard was at peace, & he was happy.

A knock on Richard's front door caught his attention. Richard sighed, getting up from his seat & approaching the front door. Richard reached for the doorknob & opened it. In front of him stood an older man. He had dark black hair with gray hairs near his sideburns, & stubble growing around his lips & chin. His eyes were brown & calm, & had laugh lines around his cheeks & eyes as he smiled. He wore a jean jacket & a pair of khaki pants. Underneath his jacket was a blue shirt that said "Haly's Circus".

Richard smiled at the man before him. "Dad," he said with surprise.

John Grayson smiled back at Richard. "Hey, son," he said. He brought his arms forward, revealing a small gift bag. "I've come baring gifts!"

Richard let out a soft laugh, stepping aside for his father to walk on through. John stepped inside, glancing around Richard's apartment. "I like what you've done with the place, son."

Richard shrugged. "I dunno what you're talking about," he said with a smirk. "I haven't touched a thing around here."

John let out a howling laugh. "Oh, man, has the wife already begun taking over your man cave?"

Richard released a soft chuckle, then nodded. "Yeah, Barbara started getting into home decor not too long after the wedding."

John nodded slowly, still wearing a large grin on his face. "That's sweet," he said. He turned to Richard. "And how have you been?"

Richard smiled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Good! Really good. Great, actually!"

"Good," John said. "That's really good. That's great, actually," he said, jokingly mocking Richard. Richard rolled his eyes at his corny father. He had really missed him, though. It felt as though it had been awhile since he last saw him. It hadn't been too long, though...had it?

"Anyway, I just wanted to give you this," John said, handing the bag over to Richard. "I figured that I'd give you a proper wedding present."

Richard reached for the bag, nodding understandingly. He knew his father had been a little short on money when the wedding came around. After all, training young kids at the circus wasn't necessarily financially stable, but, that was okay. His father & mother were happy that way. In fact, so was Richard. He enjoyed being relaxed & not materialistic, but after meeting Barbara in school, things had changed. He felt more entitled to becoming more of a dependable rock for her. After he proposed to her, Richard knew that he would finally need to settle down & leave his job with his father at the circus. His father managed to talk to some people & get him the position at Wayne Enterprises, which helped Richard see the world in a whole new light. It's not that he wasn't happier before, but...he felt as though his life was finally progressing into a new chapter. He was happy with the way things were with his family, with Barbara, & with work. Richard was happy.

"Well?" John said, breaking through Richard's thoughts. "Aren't you going to open it?"

Richard smiled, glancing down at the bag. He reached inside & removed the gift from within the bag. Inside was a small watch. It was rounded towards the top, giving form to the antique heirloom. On it were etchings on the leather bands that resembled celtic illustrations & symbols. Richard inspected the wristwatch in his hand, then turned to his father.

John smiled. "Before I married your mother, I had to win her father's blessing. He was very stern, you see. He was the kind of man you'd feel terrible disappointing. I knew I would do my utmost best to make your mother proud, but I also wanted to make her happy, but I also wanted to make her father proud. For some reason, he liked me. He liked me enough to give me this family heirloom. He said it had to stay in the family, & that I was family now."

Richard nodded with a soft smile, but, something still struck him as odd. "But why a watch?" he asked.

John let out a laugh. "I didn't get it at first, either. But after I married your mother, & had you, I began to realize how much I treasured all of our moments together. Whether we were performing, or travelling the country & having a good time, those little moments...those fleeting moments went by so fast, Dick. It gave me a whole new perspective on our lives, & how fast time flies. When you have your own kids, son, you'll understand."

Richard smiled up at his father. John cleared his throat. "I wanted to give it to Barbara to show her that she's now a part of my family, but, she's busy at the station."

Richard sighed, nodding. "Yeah, she is." He turned his eyes over to the watch once more, admiring its craftsmanship along with its meaningful story. "I love it," Richard said softly. Richard wrapped the bands around his wrist, strapping on the watch. For a moment, the watch didn't tick. Richard shrugged. He'd wind it up later.

John let out a chuckle. "Fantastic," he said. John made his way to the couch to the side of the apartment overlooking the glass window. It revealed all of Gotham City & its skyline against the bright morning. John sighed. "It's a great day," he said softly.

Richard nodded. "Yeah, it is." Richard glanced over at his father, then nodded to the kitchen. "Can I get you something to drink?"

John turned to Richard. "Yeah, can I get a pomegranate tea?"

Richard stared back at John. "Pomegranate?"

John let out a laugh. "I'm just yanking your chain, son. Get me a beer, will ya?"

Richard laughed back at his father. Richard almost believed his dad would get into some weird stuff like that. Mom always liked trying new fruit drinks to "cleanse the skin & soul." Richard did his best to take part, but his father was always the one who liked eating the bacon & beer after a show. Somehow, he managed to stay incredibly healthy, despite his poor eating habits. It must've been a strong metabolism. That's probably where Richard got his own healthy metabolism.

Richard went to the kitchen & opened the refrigerator, removing two beer cans from his shelf. He shut the refrigerator door & walked back to the living room, then sat down beside his father. He handed him the beer, & the two opened their beer cans simultaneously. They both placed their feet over the coffee table in front of the couch & crossed their feet. Richard sighed & sank into his couch, feeling an immense sensation of relaxation wash over his entire body.

John cleared his through. "So, Dick, I've been meaning to ask you something," he said.

"Shoot," Richard said, taking a sip from his beer.

John sat up, taking a sip from his beer, then set it down to the side. He turned to Richard. "So, I was talking to Jack at the circus. He's been talking to me about the new acrobats, & how he feels about their impression they're making on the audience."

Richard nodded. "The Daring Dangers," Richard said, remembering the act that Jack had hired. They were a set of blonde kids who claimed to be siblings, but it was all part of their act. Richard had seen their shows. They were pretty good, but nothing compared to his own work back in the day. "What about the Dangers?"

John shrugged. "Jack thinks they're okay. I mean, I'm training them, & I'm showing them my stunts, but they go & do their own thing. So, yeah, they're just okay. It's not bringing in a lot of people to our shows, though."

Richard nodded. "Uh-huh...okay."

John shrugged. "Jack suggested...a reunion show."

"Reunion show?" Richard asked. "Reunion of who?"

"The Flying Graysons!" John exclaimed. "You, me, your mom, back at it again! What do you say? For old time's sake?"

Richard let out a soft chuckle. He hadn't considered getting back into work with the circus. The thought had crossed his mind, but, he had his career at hand. It's not as though he wanted to give up on his performing life completely. He loved it. He loved everything about performing in the circus with his parents. The leotards, he could do without, but aside from that, the Flying Graysons act was his true pride & joy. Everything else in life was great, but...performing again, that was something he couldn't refuse.

Richard smiled at John. "Of course, dad. I'd love to."

John let out a soft chuckle, reaching over to hug Richard. Richard embraced his father is a tight, warm hug. "This is great, son. Thank you."

As the two hugged for a brief moment, Richard was suddenly seeing something entirely different. He caught sight of flames burning, with a man & a woman up on a trapeze, gliding through the air. They both, however, fell into the flames, & their cries of agony echoed in Richard's mind, sending chills down his spine.

Suddenly, a warm hand rubbing Richard's back brought him back to the living room, seeing his father smile happily at him. What the hell was that vision? Why did it happen? What...did it mean?

Richard cleared the thoughts from his head. He needed to relax & enjoy his moment with his father. He broke away from his father, then grabbed his beer. John followed suit, & the two held up their cans together. "To the Flying Graysons," Richard said softly.

John nodded. "To the Flying Graysons." With that, the two connected their drinks together, toasting to their family's legacy once again stepping in the spotlight.

* * *

Richard's head was hurting while he made his daily commute over to Wayne Enterprises. It wasn't the first time that it was hurting in recent times, but, it was definitely bothersome. Richard struggled to focus on the road ahead of him. His vision felt blurred, almost as though his eyes would drift away out of boredom. His head felt lightweight with every shift of his body, causing his head to pulsate from his dizzy sensation. Richard grunted, trying to relax. His hands clenched tightly over his wheel. Suddenly, the car behind Richard's honked. Richard, in a state of panic, glanced up at the road in front of him. The stoplight was now green.

Richard sighed, pressing his foot down on the gas, driving on. He felt queasy. Should he be driving? Maybe he should call & ask for the day off, right? Richard reached over & wrapped his fingers around a small water bottle he kept in his car, in case he ever felt thirsty. At this moment, Richard's throat felt beyond dry. He wasn't sure why, but, the sensation he felt was definitely dryness on his lips & in his esophagus.

Richard sighed. He glanced up at the office building of Wayne Enterprises. People would see Richard pull up on the driveway leading up to the stairs to the building, & every time they did, they would give him this look. Richard wasn't sure what sort of look it was. At times, people seemed to nod at Richard with approval. At other times, it felt as though people could tell he wasn't someone who belonged. It felt as though they could sense the circus roots within him, underneath his Calvin Klein suit.

Richard took a deep breath, pushing down his anxious thoughts & concerns, & made his way up the stairs, up to the front door of the building. Richard quickly glanced at his watch that his father got him. The watch read 7:48. Richard was early. He made his way through the lobby, walking straight towards the elevator. Richard stepped inside & pressed the number 34 on the number pad reading all of the floor levels. Richard stood inside of the elevator, glancing up at the light above indicating the elevator's movement. For a brief moment, he felt dizzy again, & instead of the elevator that he was standing in, he...saw a metallic interior of another elevator. One that was futuristic & high-tech. One that...spoke to Richard in a robotic voice.

Suddenly, the doors opened up, breaking through Richard's strange vision. Richard did his best to calm himself, having been frazzled by the sight he saw. Was it real? It certainly felt real, but, it could easily be in his mind, right? Yeah, he just had a drink with his father. It could be that, right? No, that happened a few days ago. Didn't it? Suddenly, the flow of time was lost to Richard, & he felt himself panic more.

Just as the doors were about to shut once more, a hand shot in between the elevator doors, pushing them apart. Richard glanced up at the doors & saw CEO Bruce Wayne standing before him. "Good morning, Mr. Grayson," Wayne greeted.

Richard cleared his throat. "Bruce- I mean, Mr. Wayne," Richard stammered.

Mr. Wayne let out an amused laugh, then stepped into the elevator. He pressed his finger on the floor number 70. "Sorry, son. I'm headed all the way up for the morning."

Richard nodded with a weak smile, avoiding glancing at his superior. "Sure," he said nervously.

The two stood in awkward silence for a brief moment, then Bruce Wayne turned to Richard, seemingly breaking the ice. "That was a nice reception you had, by the way," he said.

Richard glanced over at Wayne, then gasped in surprise. "Oh my gosh, that's right! You were there!" Richard said. He truly had forgotten that he had shown up to his wedding. As it turned out, Barbara's father was a close with Mr. Wayne. At first, it felt awkward to have Richard's boss at his wedding, but, Richard managed to keep himself together for the most part.

Bruce Wayne nodded. "I really enjoyed it. The Commissioner told me that the groom was a hell of a young man, but, I actually had no idea it was your wedding. I thought I would've gotten an invitation."

Richard let out a soft laugh. "Oh, gosh," he said, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I, uh...I dunno, I would've invited you, but, uh...I just-"

Wayne nudged Richard jokingly. "I'm teasing you," Bruce admitted. "Don't worry."

Richard let out a breath of release, then sighed. He glanced up at Bruce Wayne to find him smiling down at him. Suddenly, Richard blinked, & he no longer was in an elevator with Bruce, but was in a strange room. The lights were dimmed low, & there was a fireplace crackling before him. The light from the fireplace lit up the room slightly, illuminating bookshelves surrounding the walls, enclosing a large space with two armrest chairs in the middle. In one of the seats was a man with dark hair & pale skin in the reddish light from the flames. Richard caught sight of the man's attire. It was big & heavy, almost like a mechanical suit. Was it...body armor? It certainly didn't look military grade. It was black & grey, with a strange insignia on the chest plate. It resembled a bat.

Suddenly, Bruce Wayne shifted in his seat, glancing up at Richard in the armor. "Take a seat. Have a drink," he said.

Richard shuddered where he stood. He was suddenly terrified. "What is this?" he gasped.

Bruce stood up from his seat, revealing his true stance in his suit of armor. He looked more & more terrifying with each passing second, looming over Richard as though he was a young boy. "This is who I am," Bruce said in a low voice.

The elevator doors opened up with a ding, bringing Richard back to reality. He glanced up at the elevator, seeing the number of the floor level. It read floor 70. Why did he skip his floor? Why hadn't Bruce stopped the elevator?

Bruce turned to Richard with a smile. "Why don't you come into my office, Mr. Grayson?" Bruce said.

Richard arched his eyebrow, unsure of what to say. He needed to get to his office. He needed to get to his office. What did Bruce Wayne want with him?

Uncertain of whether he should defy his superior's wishes, he did as he was told, following Mr. Wayne out of the elevator & down the long hall. The floors were marble, shining specks of light up at Richard, reflecting the lights above in the ceiling. The walls were all glass, allowing a full view of the immersive Gotham City skyline to take one's breath away. At this height, Richard truly felt as though he was on top of the world.

Richard turned to find Mr. Wayne stepping into his office, where a few bookshelves stood behind his large, grey colored wooden desk. It was a nice office; better than Richard's own. After all, he wasn't much for interior design.

Bruce smiled at Richard. He sat down at his desk, then nodded at Richard. "Have a seat, son."

Richard nodded, stepping up to a chair in front of Bruce's desk, then sat down. He glanced awkwardly around the office. He noticed that so far, there was no one else on the 70th floor. It was odd.

"How do you feel?" Bruce Wayne asked, breaking through Richard's thoughts.

Richard opened his mouth to speak, unsure of how to answer. "I, uh...what?"

Bruce cleared his throat. "How do you feel this morning, Mr. Grayson? You looked a little pale in the elevator ride up," he said.

Richard sighed, nodding. He ran a hand through his hair, noticing how damp it was. Had he been sweating? "Honestly, sir, I did feel a little off when I arrived, but, I want to go ahead with the rest of my day."

Bruce frowned softly. "Are you sure, Mr. Grayson? I can let you take the day off, if you'd like. Just take some time to rest."

Richard shook his head. "No, no, that won't be necessary. I just…" Richard took a deep breath. "It's just things in my head, is all."

Bruce Wayne stared down at Richard. "In...in your head?"

Richard nodded. "Yeah, in my head. It's this weird sensation I've been having lately. I...I find myself daydreaming, I guess. Or, maybe not daydreaming, but, I'm having...visions, I guess. I'm seeing things throughout my day, & I feel like I'm being taken out of where I am, & I'm drifting inside of my own head, you know? Like, I'm seeing stuff in my mind, but, I feel as though I'm IN my mind." Richard noticed Bruce's confused look, then scoffed to himself. "I know. It sounds crazy."

Bruce shrugged. "I'm just trying to get an understanding of what you mean, Richard."

Richard nodded. He looked up at Bruce, & suddenly, the stern look on his face reminded him of the version of him that he saw in his head. The...the version of Bruce that was the Bat vigilante. What was he called? He was...the Bat? No, the Batman.

Richard shook the thoughts from his head, then rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Mr. Wayne...do you ever feel like you can't tell whether you're dreaming or not?"

Bruce nodded. "All the time," he said.

Richard nodded. "I...I dunno, I had rough dreams, recently. They're really getting to me. I'm seeing people in burning in flames & bleeding out in hospitals. I'm seeing who I believe is my father & mother falling to their deaths. I...I see you, Mr. Wayne."

"Me?" Bruce asked in surprise.

Richard nodded. "Yeah, like...it's you, but...colder. Angry. You...you look so dark. You looked like a monster, &...you wore the Bat's armor, man." Richard wiped his face, trying to get himself to relax. His nerves were making him anxious, & he felt his anxiety rise up, causing his head to pulsate once more with the similar vibrations that made him feel dizzy earlier that day. He struggled to hear his own thoughts in his head. Bruce stared down at Richard with the same cold look as Bruce did when he wore the Batman's armor. "Are you the Batman?" Richard breathed softly.

Bruce sighed. He ran a hand through his hair, then bit his lip. A certain calmness washed over Bruce. Suddenly, he no longer looked like Bruce Wayne the Vigilante, but rather, Bruce Wayne the Billionaire. "Mr. Grayson, you got married." Richard smiled softly in response. "Are you happy?" Bruce asked.

Richard nodded. "Of course. Barbara Gordon is the love of my life," he said as a matter of factly.

Bruce nodded. "Richard...it's hard to come across true happiness in life. Sometimes, when we finally do get what we've wanted all our lives, it's hard to truly accept it. Here's some free advice: don't go looking for a reason to not be happy."

Richard let the words sink in. Bruce Wayne did have a point. His head was throbbing constantly, but, that didn't mean there was anything wrong. In fact, everything was great. He was married to a beautiful woman that he loved so much. His parents were healthy & well, doing what they loved to do with their lives. Richard was in a financially secure lifestyle working for Bruce Wayne. So why did he just accuse Bruce of being a bat vigilante? Why couldn't Richard just...let himself be happy?

Bruce smiled down at Richard. "You're going to be okay, son," he said.

Richard nodded, releasing a deep breath. He had to admit, he felt a little better. He felt his heartbeat slow down with his steady breaths. His head began to throb less & less, as though a heavy suffocating blanket was removed from his head, releasing a weight from his shoulders. Richard was overwhelmingly relieved suddenly. Richard smiled softly, looking up at Bruce Wayne. "I'm going to be okay," he said softly.

Richard stood up from his seat & slowly left the office, walking into the long vast hall of the floor level. As he began walking towards the elevator, he heard a certain noise that resembled that of a scratch. At first, Richard ignored it, but the scratching noise grew louder & louder until he could almost feel the scratch against his own skin.

Richard spun around in a panic to find a small boy wearing a yellow & red armor with a hood over his head. On his waist was a sheath, one that held the sword that he was dragging across the floor. He swung the sword up, pointing it at Richard. The boy's face was hard to distinguish because of the hood over his head, & the domino eye mask over his eyes. Richard wasn't sure what was familiar about this boy, until he saw the symbol on the boy's armor. Around his chest plate was a small R.

Suddenly, the memories came flooding back. Everything. The fall of the Graysons at the Haly Circus, the orphanage, Old Gotham, the Batman & the League, the Titans & the Dominators. It all came rushing back like a violent ocean wave of Richard's subconscious, almost knocking him out. Richard gasped rapidly, clinging to whatever deep breath he could breathe. Finally, Richard regained his bearings, but, there the boy still stood.

"Grayson," the small boy called out to Richard.

Richard shook his head. "Robin," he muttered. "Who are you?"

The boy's lips curled into an evil smirk. "I'm the son of Batman," he hissed. He brought his sword up & lunged at Richard.


	22. Chapter 22: Sacrifice

**Chpt. XXII: Sacrifice**

Richard rolled to the side, avoiding the swing of the sword down where he had stood. Richard's roll led him to a stance, allowing him to quickly glance back at his foe. The hooded Robin lunged at Richard once more, swinging his large blade at the former Boy Wonder. Richard continued to dodge, stepping back & to the side. Eventually, the young Robin managed to get a hit, slicing a cut across Richard's forearm as he defended himself. Richard hissed as he grasped his wound.

The Robin's breathing was slow & steady as he held his sword firmly in his hands, walking in a small circle around Richard. "You cannot leave, Grayson," called the boy. "You cannot leave."

Richard shook his head in disbelief. "What the hell is this?" he asked. "You...you can't be Robin. You're...not Robin."

Robin swung his sword down at the ground, sending sparks of metal out into the air. "I have every right to wear this damn suit, Grayson! More than you ever did!" The young Robin's chest now rose heavily as his breathing grew louder with rage. "I am the son of Batman. The TRUE son of Batman! His blood courses in my veins, Grayson. I am more worthy of this cowl than you ever will be." Robin brought his sword up once more, pointing it at Richard. "So step down."

Richard shook his head. "This isn't real," he said softly, to no one in particular. "Barbara...she isn't going to marry me. My father...my parents are both dead, still. Bruce is missing. He isn't my boss. He...he...he hates me, & now he's gone." Richard looked up at the hooded Robin. "None of this is real, kid, & neither are you!"

Suddenly, the young Boy Wonder leaped into the air &, with his sword pointed forward, shot his arm outward. He shoved his blade straight into Richard's shoulder, causing him to cry out in agony. Robin's feet connected with Richard's chest, allowing him to leap off from Richard's body, like a jumping pad. Richard fell to the ground with a loud thud that echoed across the entire floor of the building, along with his pained howls. Richard reached for his stabbed arm, but the sword sent sharp excruciating sensations across his body. He hissed as he tried to grasp the hilt of the sword. "Bruce!" he cried out. "Help!"

Robin walked over to Richard's body & reached for the blade's hilt. "Daddy can't help you now, Grayson." With that, Robin yanked the sword out of Richard's shoulder, causing blood to spray out of the wound & ooze over his skin & tattered shirt. Richard let out a roar of pain, then brought his arm over to his wound to keep it from bleeding. The blood still seeped through his fingers. Richard gasped & pressed harder, feeling a sense of panic rush over him. Would he bleed out here & now? Would he die in this...this...hellish dream?

Suddenly, just as he rose his arms up to swing his sword down, a red arrow shot through the Robin's arm, causing him to drop his sword. The young boy cursed to himself, startling Richard, but giving him enough time to evade anymore attacks from the hooded boy. Richard rolled to the side, still clutching his arm, & ran towards the elevator, where he saw a familiar archer in red leather with his bow strung up, alongside a young woman in a black cloak & pale skin. Richard stumbled as he ran to his friends & latched himself onto the cloaked girl. "Raven! Roy!"

Raven held Richard him her arms, holding up close. "Oh my god, Dick," she breathed.

Roy Harper shot another arrow out then turned to Richard. "Hey, Dick, we missed you," he said casually.

Richard glanced around the elevator frantically. He reached up to touch Roy's shoulder. "Roy, is this real?"

Roy shrugged Richard's hand off of his shoulder & strung up his bow once more, releasing an arrow out into the distance. "Yes, Dick, this is real," he grunted.

Rachel reached over Richard's shoulder & pressed the Level 1 button on the elevator pad. After a few moments, the door began closing shut, but not before the young hooded Robin made his way towards the elevator, & was almost able to shove his sword through the doors. The elevator doors shut just in time, however, giving the three a moment to breathe.

Rachel sighed, then turned to Richard. "Dick, tell me, how long has it been since you've been here?"

Richard raised an eyebrow in confusion. He turned to Roy, who gave him the same persistent look as Rachel. He turned back to Rachel. "What...what do you mean?"

Rachel let out a groan. "He means here, Dick. This...world, Dick. Can you tell how much time you've spent here?"

Richard sighed. He considered the question, but, he honestly couldn't recall how long it had been. Richard remembered everything with the Dominators invading, & being abducted, but he also still had memories of the things that happened in this life. However, when it came to him actually remembering events such as his wedding, he just...couldn't. It was strange; it was as though he knew these things had happened, but, the memory itself was not in his mind. It was life remembering historic events, knowing it to be true for a fact without being there. Richard knew he had married Barbara, but...he couldn't remember their first dance as husband & wife. Richard shuttered. How much of this was just in his head?

Rachel reached for Richard's hands & held them tight. "Richard, please. I need you to focus. What do you remember?"

Richard bit his lip, struggling to piece together what he knew. "I...I woke up outside of the Cadmus facility with Barbara. She...wore a wedding ring. We were looking up at the stars. We spent time together…& suddenly, I was home with my father. He gave me a gift. It...it was a watch. He asked me to perform with him & the Flying Graysons again. After that, I was driving here, to work, &..." Richard's voice trailed off. He looked up at Rachel. "It feels as though there's time missing throughout my day."

Rachel nodded. "Sounds about right," she said. She looked up at Roy. "They've been screwing with his mind."

Roy grunted, holding his bow down to the ground with his arrow strung up, ready for any attack. He shook his head. "Damn aliens. What do they want with him?"

Rachel sighed, looking back down at Richard. She ran her hand through his hair, then pressed her hand down on his scalp. Richard caught sight of Rachel's eyes glowing a dark purplish hue. She was doing something to him, but Richard wasn't sure what. He couldn't feel anything, though, other than feeling sort of relaxed. He felt better overall. Seeing Rachel & Roy brought some comfort for him again, after the strange feelings he had experienced. He needed some familiar faces to keep Richard grounded, or else he would lose his mind.

Finally, Rachel's eyes slowing dimmed, turning back to her natural eye color. She bit her lip, looking into Richard's eyes. "Dick, they really got into your head," she said. "They convinced you that this was real life. You & Barbara being married, your parents alive, this was all a way for the Dominators to get in your head. They created this reality to keep your subconscious active while they seeped into your head."

Richard felt his lips tremble in confusion. "What...what were they doing in my head?" he asked.

Rachel glanced up at Roy once more, who looked down solemnly at Richard. Finally, a bell dinged as the elevator reached the first floor of the office building. The doors opened slowly, revealing an empty hallway. Roy turned to the two. "Come on, guys," he said. "We need to get moving."

Roy stepped out first, keeping his arms straight & upright as he held his up bow. He surveyed the area with his eyes, scanning for any signs of a hostile nearby. Roy continued to walk out forward, allowing both Rachel & Richard to follow behind. As they walked out of the building & onto the eerily street, Richard was able to regain some sense in his head, but he still felt dizzy to a degree. It was strange. The whole thing felt strange & surreal. Richard turned to Raven. "So...this reality is...in my head?" he asked. "I'm...inside my own head?"

Rachel sighed. "Don't think about it too hard," she said softly. "It'll only make things feel worse. Think of it as just a dream, Dick."

Richard nodded slowly, letting his mind accept the concept. A dream. That's all it was. Just a dream. At some point, he would wake up, & he would be able to finish the battle with the Dominators. He just needed to...wake up. Richard turned to Rachel. "How are we going to get out of here?" he asked. "How do we get back to reality?"

Just at that moment, Roy stopped in his tracks, causing both Rachel & Richard to also stop. They walked up to Roy, who was standing in front of a street light pole. As the two walked up to ask why he had stopped, they both saw it. It was almost like seeing a ghost, but...it wasn't Roy or Rachel's ghost. It was Richard's.

Roy removed the flyer from the pole & held it in his hand, letting both Rachel & Richard read it. It was a flyer advertising the Flying Graysons reunion show. " _One night & one night only!" _it read.

Roy sighed, turning back to his two friends. "Anything you wanna tell us, Dick?" he said with the slightest hint of amusement.

Rachel bit her lip, then looked up at Richard. "This shouldn't be here," she said. "I get your parents are alive here, but…"

"The Flying Graysons are dead," Richard said coldly. "They don't exist anymore."

Roy scoffed. "Obviously," he muttered, "but they're here in this fantasy of yours. Anything can happen, right?"

Richard shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "We...we never set a date for the show."

Rachel sighed, looking up at Richard. "Dude, I think we need to go there."

Roy turned back to face the two & raised his eyebrows. "What the hell, why?" he asked. "A...a circus?"

Rachel sighed, then began to explain. "This reality is built on some of Richard's biggest desires. Him not being Batman's Robin, him being married to Barbara, & his parents being alive, they're all...anomalies in this reality. The only reason any of them exist, though, is because of that circus. It's because his parents are still alive & never died during their performance."

Roy & Richard glanced at one another, then stared back at Rachel. Richard bit his lip, feeling his chest grow heavier as he tried to understand what Rachel was saying. "Raven...what...what are you trying to say?"

Roy cleared his throat. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you're suggesting we go & kill his parents."

Raven groaned. "No, no, guys, listen. The fact that they never died serves as a sort of...catalyst for the rest of this reality to exist. So, it stands to reason that the only place to go now would be the start of it all, which is the circus." Rachel took the flyer from Roy's hand, then held it up for both of the boys to see. "We go to the place that the Graysons never died, & maybe we'll find a way back to the reality where they ARE dead."

Richard bit his lip. It was a bit of a stretch, but, he was willing to try anything. He knew he had a duty to get back home, & both Rachel & Roy were risking so much to pull him out, but...a part of Richard didn't want to leave. Knowing that the reality they were in wasn't real definitely ruined the illusion of happiness, but, that didn't mean that he completely wanted to leave. He...he was married, here. He had his wife. He married the love of his life, his best friend. His father & mother were alive. They were happy & well. Why would Richard ever want anything else other than his family?

Roy sighed. "Okay, well, where is this circus?" he asked.

Rachel glanced up at Richard & noticed him lost in thought. She nudged Richard. "Earth to Dick."

Richard blinked, glancing down at Rachel, then nodded. "Right. The circus. I, uh, I know the way from here."

The trio began making their way down the street, leaving the Wayne Enterprises property. As they walked, they noticed the lack of activity within the city. It looked as though it was abandoned. Apartments & office buildings didn't have their lights on. Nobody was in their car on the streets. In fact, there were almost no cars on the road. There were a few parked on the curb as the few Titans walked, but, there were no signs of actual life in Gotham. What had happened? Did the Dominators somehow abduct everyone from this reality? Or did everyone disappear once the truth of the reality came clear to Richard? Whatever the answer was, it left Richard wondering about the fate of his parents.

As the group walked, the sun began to set behind the city skyline. The empty streets grew darker & colder, making Richard paranoid & anxious. He instinctive glanced down at his watch that his father gave him, feeling a slight comfort in the gift. The watch read 7:48. It...it hadn't changed time since he arrived at Wayne Enterprises that morning. Was it broken? Had it always read that same time? Suddenly, Richard thought back to when he received the watch from his father. John had said something about time flying by so fast, & needing to treasure the moments he had with his family. Time was...still in this reality. Time was frozen...letting Richard treasure his time with his family. Was that it? Or was the damn watch just broken?

Richard removed the watch from his wrist, then tossed it aside. The cracking of the glass face of the watch caused Rachel & Roy to glance back in concern. Richard avoided eye contact with them. He hated it when they saw him cry. He felt as though he cried way too often. Especially now, over a watch that didn't exist, given to him by a father who wasn't really alive, in a home that wasn't even real. Richard thought back to his time with Nolan Drake, & he thought of the phrase that he made everyone chant down in Old Gotham's Underground. _Hell is home_ , they cried. Well, this home was certainly a hell now.

Finally, the Titans reached the circus, towards the outskirts of town. The circus tent was large & tall, almost like a colorful castle with streamers whipping at the breeze of the wind. Lights shone from above, emitting into the dark Gotham night sky. From inside, Richard could hear...people. He could hear the roaring cheers of Gothamites from within, bringing a sense of nostalgia & joy to Richard suddenly. For a moment, he forgot about the crisis at hand. For a moment, all Richard wanted was to just see a show.

Richard began walking towards the entrance of the circus, followed by Arsenal & Raven. The three slowly entered, becoming overwhelmed by the loud sounds coming from all directions. The audience cheered & chanted while an elephant roared, swinging its large trunk around. Someone had painted parts of the elephant green. It…was odd, but almost familiar. Soon, Richard began noticing other things that registered as almost familiar in his head. A large body building with his arm & half of his face painted silver was lifting up dumbbells. A female archer stood atop of a green lion's back, shooting a flaming arrow at a wooden pole. It had a green hood worn over the wood, resembling somebody somewhat familiar. Up above, Richard caught sight of two women. They were swinging across the stage on a trapeze, utilizing a bad acrobatic technique that Richard couldn't help but smirk at. One was a redhead, wearing a purple unitard with green designs on it, while the other had green hair, sporting a blue unitard with red designs on it. The entire show was odd, but, it continued to strike Richard as nothing more than slightly familiar.

Roy sighed, stepping up beside Richard. "I really do not like the circus," he muttered.

Rachel cleared her throat. "Come on, boys. We need to find a way out."

"A way out?" called a female's voice suddenly. The three began looking in every direction, searching for the source of the voice. Finally, Richard caught sight of a woman in a white button up with a black blazer over it. Her black long hair hung low underneath her large top hat. As she walked across the stage, past the mayhem around her, she strutted with a ferocity, allowing her long legs in fishnet stockings to shine underneath the bright lights above. Richard stared at her in wonderment. He knew she was someone he knew, but he just couldn't place it.

"Zatanna," Roy muttered beside Richard. "What's going on?" he called out to her.

Zatanna tilted her head to the side. "Zatanna?" she repeated. She let out a soft chuckle that soon became distorted as a deep, low, manly laugh grew, almost crawling out of her throat. "I'm not Zatanna." She reached up for her tophat & removed it, but as she brought it down, her face...shifted. She was suddenly an older man. His legs were just as long, & he was even taller, but he now wore a full suit. "Call me Jack," the man now said.

Richard gasped at the sight of the man. His black hair with grey sideburns was familiar to him. The uncanny resemblance made Richard nervous, causing him to wonder how deep in his subconscious he had delved into. Richard glanced around the entire circus in both fear & wonderment, then back at the old ringleader. "Jack Haly," he breathed.

Jack looked straight into Richard's eyes from across the stage & smiled. "Grayson," he called, only to have another low, inhuman voice call out from underneath his as well. "Welcome to the show."

Richard bit his lip, glancing back at Roy & Rachel. They glanced nervously at each other, then back at Richard. None of them knew what to do at this point. Was there anything they could do? Richard stepped close towards the edge of the stage, close to entering the ring itself. "Mr. Haly," Richard called, "I...I need to go home. How can I leave?"

Haly let out a roaring laugh. "But Dick, you ARE home!" He gestured upward towards the audience. Richard followed his gaze to find Barbara in the audience, smiling down at him. She wore a beautiful blue dress that contrasted marvelously with her bright red hair. Richard felt his lips quiver. Why had she come? She would just make things more difficult for him.

Jack suddenly appeared next to Richard, startling him. "My son, it's now time for the show," he cooed. Jack brought his hand up towards the trapeze. "Please, enjoy the death-defying flips of the Flying Graysons!"

Richard gasped as he suddenly saw his mother & father, both in yellow & green leotards with red across the outfits, causing a wave of nostalgia to wash over him. They both leaped from their platforms, gliding through the air with such grace as they held onto the swings. Richard felt his heart racing in panic as he anticipated the horror that would inevitably come; their fall. Their deaths. Richard waited for the moment, but...they didn't fall.

Suddenly, a third acrobat flew across the air in a similar Flying Grayson leotard, except with a cape that flapped against the wind. Richard watched in confusion as this young acrobat flew over his father's body, then under his mother's, reaching for a swing to grasp on. Once he found his grip, he swung backwards, gliding over both of Richard's parents. The audience roared in cheers & amazement, even when the young acrobat removed a sword from his hilt, swinging it through the air.

"No!" Richard cried as he saw the young Robin slice John's neck, causing bright blood to spurt from above & rain down on Richard, bathing him in his own father's blood After a moment, his father's lifeless body fell to the ground, cracking upon impact. Then, the Robin somersaulted in the air to reach for his mother's body. The Robin took the sword & shoved it into her chest, & the two fell to the ground with even more force. As they landed, the young boy twisted the sword within Richard's mother's chest, allowing blood to continue to ooze out of her wound. His eyes were covered with a facemask, but Richard could see the bloodlust in his eyes. His lips were curled into a devilish grin, causing Richard to gasp when the young boy turned & glanced at him.

The young Robin let out a maniacal laugh. "Grayson!" the young boy called out to Richard. The young boy yanked his sword out of Mary's corpse, then pointed the sword at Richard. "Grayson!" he called once more, only this time, his voice was echoed along with a deeper, monstrous voice in Richard's head. Richard groaned as he brought his hand up to his head, feeling a familiar throbbing sensation. The Dominators were in his head again.

Richard acted on instinct. He leaped forward, shoving past Mr. Haly, & entered the ring. He ran past the archer & the bodybuilder & the large animals, making his way to the young Robin & his parents' corpses. He howled as he lunged for the young boy, swinging his fists at the kid. He knocked the boy down, allowing Richard to gain the upperhand by placing his heavy weight over the boy's to attack him. Richard didn't expect the boy to withstand each punch to his face, or even counter his own attack.

The young Robin headbutted Richard, causing him to fall over. Richard grunted as he rubbed his forehead, then the young boy sat up, reaching for his sword, & swung it. Richard brought his arm up to block his face, only to be cut by the large blade itself. Richard hissed as he held onto his wound, then stumbled up onto his feet. Richard continued to step backwards as the Robin swung his sword from side to side. Richard dodged each swing with just the hair on his skin. Richard felt his heart beat heavier & heavier, as if begging to leap out of his cagging ribs. He felt slower, though, with his body moving more & more sluggish with every second. Was this it for Richard?

The boy made another wound as his sword slit across Richard's chest. Richard howled as the young boy swung his sword downwards, cutting Richard's inner thigh. Richard crumpled to his knee, screaming in agony. The Robin lifted his booted foot up & kicked Richard's chest, shoving him onto the ground. The kick stung the open wound on Richard's chest, causing him to hiss. Richard watched as the young Robin stared down at him with a devilish grin. "What are you waiting for?" Richard snarled. "Get it over with."

Robin bent down low, kneeling beside Richard's head. "You have no place here, Grayson. You are no longer Robin. I'm the true son of Batman. You are an echo of the old world; one of weak men and lost heroes. I am the answer, Grayson. With the blood of Batman & the Head of the Demon running through my veins, I can rid the world of all that is weak...starting with you."

Before Richard could respond, he felt the cold blade of the boy's sword press up under his chin. One slight movement, & the sword would surely slice his throat. Richard steadied his breath, ready to anticipate the inevitable. The Flying Graysons were dead. No matter what universe he was trapped in, no matter what reality had been altered, they would always be dead. The Graysons had to be dead. It was only fitting that he'd go too, underneath the tent of Haly's Circus, beside his fallen parents.

Just at that moment, something happened. Richard noticed that everything grew quiet. The audience in the circus, they...were silent. Richard darted his eyes over to the side to spot everyone, but it seemed as though nobody was moving. Richard glanced over at the circus performers around him, & everyone had suddenly become frozen in place. The lion was in mid-roar, while the archer's arrow was frozen in the air. The trapeze artists were floating in the air, without anything holding them up. Richard noticed the Robin before him. His chest wasn't rising, nor falling. He...wasn't breathing. Richard opened his mouth to gasp, but found that the air had suddenly grown thick & difficult to breathe.

Richard slowly brought his hand up to the sword by his neck, & carefully moved it away from his body. The sword moved without the Robin noticing, or at least, giving any reaction. Richard stumbled onto his feet, & glanced around the circus. Everything was frozen. All, except for Roy & Rachel across the circus.

Richard caught sight of Roy shrugging in confusion. "What they hell did you do, Dick?"

Richard bit his lip, unsure of how to respond. He really wasn't sure as to what had happened. He hadn't done anything. At least...he didn't think he did. Before he could speak up, he felt his wrist grow warm. He glanced down & caught sight of his watch steaming on his wrist. His watch was growing hotter by the second. Richard frantically removed his watch, but stopped when he noticed the hands on the watch spinning around the face at a rapid rate. Richard gasped in shock. His watch wasn't moving before, but...now, suddenly time was working? Richard glanced around the circus. Everyone was still frozen in place. What were the rules to this hellscape?

Richard glanced up at Roy & Rachel. "Time...time is different here."

Roy & Rachel glanced at one another, then glanced back at Richard. "We'd better leave," Rachel called.

Richard bit his lip, then nodded, making his way out of the circus ring. As he approached Raven & Arsenal, he felt a rush of air brush past him. He gasped for air for a brief moment, and the world around him slowly rushed back into motion. The holler of the audience around him echoed into a loud roar, & the sound of a young boy's battle cry alerted Richard.

Richard dropped low into a split, dodging the swing of the young Robin's sword from behind him. He glanced back up at the hooded boy, then rose up in a swift motion, swinging his fist up. His fist connected to the Robin's jaw, knocking the boy out. Richard was about to run back towards Rachel & Roy then a sharp pain suddenly stung his shoulder blade. Richard howled, reaching over his shoulder. He pulled hard against the small blade, then brought it in front of his face to see it. It was a winglet.

Richard quickly spun around to find the Robin lunging forward, with his sword raised high. Richard stepped to the side & raised his knee up, attacking the boy in his stomach. The young boy doubled over, dropping his sword. The sword fell into Richard's hand, allowing him to grasp it tightly. Richard backed away from the Robin before the boy could ready himself for another attack. Richard acted fast. He stepped forward, plunging the sword deep into the boy's chest. Richard snarled as the Robin glared at him with a dead gaze. Dark red blood dripped over Richard's grip over the hilt of the sword, dripping down his arm. The muscle of Richard's arm twitched as he twisted the sword in the wound. Richard's snarl slowly shifted to a frown, & his lips trembled when the boy finally breathed his last words. "Never...be...Grayson…"

Richard bit his lip, then sighed. The boy's body went limp as it leaned against Richard's chest. Richard set the boy down on the ground slowly, looking up & down the small boy's body. He brought his hands to the boy's hood & removed it from the boy's head. Richard then reached for the boy's mask over his eyes & removed that as well. He caught sight of the boy's dark black hair, & shining emerald eyes. Despite being no older than 13, he had a very defined jaw line. If Richard hadn't known any better, he would've thought that the boy was a young Bruce Wayne.

Richard stood up slowly, feeling his chest grow heavy. His heart felt slow in its heartbeat as the circus grew silent all around him. Richard felt deadly stares from all different directions. He felt a tingling sensation over his skin, as though guilt had begun to rain down over him. The circus performers had stared down at Richard in shame. Jack Haly's glare seared the back of Richard's head. Richard glanced back up, seeing Rachel & Roy from across the ring. They just stared back at Richard solemnly.

Richard sighed. "I'm ready," he said.

Richard made his way towards Rachel & Roy, feeling his desperation finally run out, and all that was left within him was determination. He felt a sense of readiness now; a force that made him more driven to do what was necessary, now. He needed to end it all, now, once & for all. The Dominators had tampered with Richard for far too long, & now, they were planning to do something to the rest of the planet. Richard had to stop it. He was ready.

As Richard walked past the two Titans, he suddenly saw a bright light shine down on a spot a few feet away from the entrance of the circus tent. Richard heard gasps from Rachel & Roy. Richard stared back at the light in awe, confused as to what the light could be. He turned back to look at Rachel, who bit her lip. She looked into Richard's eyes & nodded. "This is it," she said.

Richard turned back to the bright light, but was startled when he saw a quick glimpse of who he thought were both his parents, wearing their Flying Grayson unitards. After a moment, he blinked, & suddenly they were gone. Richard turned back, hoping that Rachel & Roy had spotted the two, when he caught a glimpse of Barbara from across the circus, still sitting in her seat in the audience. Richard noticed her smile weakly, then nodding as a single tear fell from her eye. Richard sighed. He knew this was what he had to do. Richard turned to face the light, & took a deep breath. He shut his eyes tightly as he stepped through the light.

* * *

When Richard opened his eyes again, he found himself in a brightly lit room. It was circular in design, showing almost no indication of a floor or a ceiling. The walls all curved, resembling the inside of an egg. Richard glanced down to find himself sitting on top of a metallic board. His limbs weren't clamped to the board in any way. He glanced down at his bare feet, feeling the wiggling sensation in his toes. His clothes had been swapped out for grey rags. Richard turned to his right, & found Raven in her dark cloak, holding one hand on Richard's shoulder, & her other in Roy's hand. Roy wore his red Arsenal gear, strapped from head to toe in leather and arrows extending from his quiver. Richard smiled as the two slowly began to wake from their trance in Richard's hellscape.

Rachel let out a sigh of relief, speaking first. "That was crazy," she said softly.

Richard nodded, glancing down at his feet. "Yeah. Yeah, it was."

Richard slid off of the metallic board, attempting to regain his footing, but fell onto his knees. Richard shook his head. It had been a while since he used his physical body, so that might've been why he felt uneasy on his feet. Maybe the Dominators had drugged him. Whatever the case was, Richard needed to take action.

Roy made his way over to Richard's side, placing his weight under Richard's shoulder. The two limped towards the curved wall, which revealed a door once they got close enough. The walls pulled apart, showing the dark corridors of the halls. Richard glanced back at Rachel, who picked up a sack made of the same material that Richard's clothes were made of. Inside, Richard could spot the escrima stick from his Nightwing suit protruding.

Richard faced forward as the trio made their way through the dark corridors. The halls were dimly lit with green lights all around, but the walls were stoned, almost resembling an ancient architectural design. One hall had bright yellow panels in the forms of circles. Each panel contained a symbol on it. Richard couldn't make out the symbol, or what it could represent. It was foreign to him. Richard let out a shuddered breath as they made their way through the halls. It was all alien; everything around him. They seeped inside of his mind. They could kill him now, if they wanted. Why hadn't they? What good was Richard to the Dominators?

Suddenly, Roy stopped, prompting Rachel to stop behind the two. The three had just found a large opening that led to, what appeared to be, a hangar. Strange pods were stationed all across the area, stretching out for what looked like miles. Roy let out an impressed whistle. "Wanna steal a ride, guys?"

Richard bit his lip. He glanced around the hangar nervously. He felt as though the Dominators would arrive any moment. There was no way they could escape so easily. Just then, as if on cue, Richard heard the chatter of a Dominator's growl. Richard felt chills down his spine as he turned to spot where the growl had come from. The growl echoed into nothingness before Richard could place the origin of the sound.

"Thea?" Roy muttered. Richard turned to face Roy, then traced his vision towards the hangar. Richard caught sight of what Roy was looking at. A short woman with short brown hair, wearing the same rags as Richard, had just boarded one of the pods. The pod didn't move for a few moments, but suddenly, the pod dropped out of the ship, sending a rushing gust of wind towards the inner part of the hangar. After a moment, the hatch that dropped the pod closed shut. Richard blinked in confusion, then turned to Roy. Roy's mouth was left agape.

"Uh, guys," Rachel cried. Both Roy & Richard turned to Rachel, who was staring behind them. The two turned to find a horde of Dominators, each standing, staring at the group. At that moment, Richard felt as though he had literally pissed his raggedy pants. He cursed to himself, then turned to Rachel.

Rachel reached over for Richard's hand, grasping it tightly. She looked up at Richard, then smiled softly. "I've got one big jump left in me," she said. "You know the drill."

Richard nodded. Before he could even prepare himself, he was thrusted into a transmutation, shifting from form to form. His entire being was destroyed & reconstructed, having the sensation last longer than ever before. The transportation from an alien spaceship down to Earth must've taken longer, but a little too long. Before Richard could feel it, his mind had shut down, & he lost consciousness while in the interdimensional portal.


	23. Chapter 23: Hail Mary

**Chpt. XXIII: Hail Mary**

When Richard's eyes opened, he found himself gazing up at a bright blue sky. He saw the clouds slowly moving across, as if fluffy boats drifting towards something peaceful & beautiful. Richard felt a sense of calmness wash over him. He had almost forgotten what he had just endured in the last day. Then he remembered the spaceship, & the Dominators, & all of the things he saw when he was being experimented on. Being reunited with Barbara & his parents, only to have to leave Barbara & relive his parents' death again...it was a heart wrenching experience. Richard wanted to just forget it all. He stared up at the sky once more. He felt his lips curl into a faint smile. He had this moment of peace. This moment to be grateful that he did, in fact, spend a few fleeting moments with his parents again. But it was all over. He had a job to do.

Richard sat up, feeling hard gravel underneath the palms of his hands. He saw his legs & torso in his Nightwing armor, trying to recall the moment when he changed into his suit. He glanced around the surroundings, noticing the edges of the rooftop he was sitting on. How did he get there? Where was he?

Richard noticed Rachel, sitting over the ledge of the rooftop to his right. Richard groaned as he sat up, walking over to the young cloaked woman. He bent down low, swinging his legs over the edge of the building. He sat down, letting out a deep sigh. Rachel turned to Richard. "Hey," she said softly.

Richard nodded, glancing over to Rachel. "Hey." Richard surveyed the city around him, taking in the familiar landmarks. The Olympian Hotel & the Iceberg Lounge were a few blocks away, while he spotted the Gotham Academy preparatory school a few streets away. Then Richard noticed the streets. Cars were crashed into buildings & poles, while street lights were off. Buildings were dark inside, with no lights inside shining. The city, despite it being daylight, was dark & empty…& quiet. "What happened?" Richard breathed.

Rachel sighed. "Gotham suffered a blackout," she explained. "It was the Dominators. They...they drained the city's power when they crash landed here. They landed in Coast City too, but alien activity has been scarce in the last few hours. Gotham...they underwent a citywide panic."

Richard cursed to himself. "Where did the people go?"

Rachel shook her head. "Evacuated. At least, they tried. GCPD tried to get most of the civilians out, but then there was an attack again. Dominators came out, & the police tried to hold them off. A lot of people got out, but a lot also didn't make it."

Richard felt his chest suddenly grow heavy. He felt a sudden tingling sensation wash over him; one that weighed heavily over his shoulders. He felt numb in his fingertips. How many had died? How many policemen were dead? Was Jim Gordon dead? Did Barbara make it? What the hell happened?

Rachel smiled, placing a reassuring hand on Richard's knee. "The Titans are here, Dick. Roy is leading one unit, surveying the city for more civilians, & Tim is leading another. Everything is under control for the moment."

Richard nodded slowly. The weight lifted up from his shoulders, as his anxiety was washed by comfort. Richard felt good that his team had managed to be saved from their brainwashing. Nolan Drake had really pulled through when Richard asked him to. He was shocked to know that the man was worthy enough to save his team. But the Titans, banding together without Richard to save Gotham was...amazing. He grew less worried, knowing that the Titans managed to take initiative in such a seemingly hopeless situation. They did what no one else could in the time of despair. They took care of the city while he was away. Richard smiled to himself. Maybe, just maybe...the Titans would get back together, once all of this was over. Maybe they could work like they did before. In fact...they might just fine without Richard.

Suddenly, a green bird flew over the rooftop & grew into a familiar form. Richard watched as Logan landed on the rooftop, panting as though he had just run a marathon. His eyes were big & frightened. "Guys, they're here," he called.

Richard arched his eyebrow. "What?"

Rachel stood up, giving no question as to what Logan meant. She looked down at Richard & held out a hand towards him. "Are you ready, Nightwing?"

Richard stared up at Rachel's hand, then up at her dark eyes. He could see something in her that he hadn't seen in so long. He saw fear; true, genuine, raw fear in her eyes. She was truly terrified because of what they were about to do. Richard knew that fear. He felt it so many times in his life, but, he always managed to find the strength & courage to do what needed to be done. He got his strength from the ones that he loved. He got it from Bruce, from Barbara, & from Tim. He got it from Roy & Rachel, & the rest of the Titans. With that strength, he needed to be brave. No matter how terrified & scared he was himself, he needed to be brave for his Titans.

Richard smiled at Rachel. He took her hand & let her help him up. He nodded, feeling his chin held up high. "It's time, Raven."

Rachel nodded back at Richard &, for the briefest moment, a sliver of hope shone in her eyes. Richard turned to Logan & saw the way he looked up at him. His eyes, still large & wide opened, stared up at Richard with genuine hope. It was a look that he remembered Tim once giving Jason when he first met him. It was the look Richard used to give his father before every performance. Now, it was Richard's turn to bring about that hope for Logan, & the rest of his team as well. It was time for Richard's performance of a lifetime.

Richard placed a strong hand on Logan's shoulder. "You ready to give 'em hell, Beast Boy?" he said with a grin.

Logan squealed with excitement. "Beast Boy?" he cried. "Really? No...no more Changeling?"

Richard let out a soft laugh, nodding. "Of course. You've always been a beast anyway."

Logan smiled at Richard, then turned to Rachel. Logan cleared his throat, then stepped close to Rachel. Richard eyed the two for a moment, & noticed something in Logan. A certain...bravado washed over Logan. Logan cleared his throat. "Rachel, I know you think I'm a major dweeb, & I know I'd never have a shot with you, but...in case we don't make it out of this alive, I just wanna say something."

Rachel stared deep into Logan's eyes as he spoke. "Rachel...you really are beautiful. The demon babe I met all those years ago, saving me from those Cadmus bastards. You...you're something so magical & wonderful, even if you don't think so. The stuff with your father, & Hell, & all of that, none of it defines you. You're so much better than that. You're the demon babe who got it right, & as cheesy as this sounds...I'm never going to forget you."

Richard felt shock wash down over him. He had no idea how strong Logan's feelings for Rachel were. When they were younger, his crush was very obvious, but...this was something more genuine than Richard had never seen come out of Logan. He truly took this as his one & only chance to confess to Rachel.

Richard glanced at Rachel, who, to Richard's surprise, smiled. Her lips curled upward in the softest manner, & her eyes showed no anger or fear, but rather kindness. Rachel stepped close to Logan, & slowly brought her pale blue lips to his. The two kissed for a few moments, with the sincerity of their affection truly visible. Richard glanced away, feeling like somewhat of a third wheel. Richard smiled to himself, however. He used to think that guys like him didn't get the girl. Logan had just proved Richard wrong.

Richard turned back to find the two smiling at one another, eyes lit with joy & happiness. Richard felt good about this. It would bring them hope & confidence for the battle they were about to face. Richard nodded. "Let's go."

The three made their way from the roof down to the ground level below. As Richard scaled down the five story building, Rachel floated down with her dark aura, & Logan followed in the form of a green bird swooping down in the air. The three landed on the street, & Richard saw a group of familiar people walking towards him. He could see Arsenal leading a group of the Titans, with Wally, Artemis, Cyborg, & Kaldur'ahm. Tim led a group beside them, with Starfire, Superboy, M'gann, & Zatanna. Richard approached the groups, with Beast Boy & Raven following behind him. As the groups converged, Richard glanced at each Titan individually. He could see the look of fear in each of their eyes, but they also had another look in their eyes. It was a look that asked for guidance. They were asking for Richard's leadership.

Richard nodded as the Titans all began to group around him. Richard took a deep breath, then spoke. "This is it. The Dominators are here, now. They're here, & they want to take my city. We need to stop them here, in Gotham City. If we lose to them here, they win. Earth's last line of defense will have failed, & they will take our homes. But that's not going to happen, is it?" Richard shook his head. "No," he scoffed, "those bastards aren't taking this city. Not on my watch. After they probed inside of my mind, promising me a world that isn't mine, I can't let them take you away from me. I won't let them take this city from me, &...I won't let them take you from me. So today, we stand, & we fight together as Titans. We take these sons of bitches down, & we save the world today!"

With that, Cyborg nodded in approval. "You're damn right, we will."

Richard nodded back at Victor with a strong grin, then glanced at the rest of the Titans all around him. Each one had a faint smile on their face, & each one nodded in approval. Suddenly, Richard didn't see lost outcasts, or scared young teenagers. He saw brave warriors among him. They were ready.

All of a sudden, as if on cue, Richard heard the booming roar of a Dominator echo through the empty streets of Gotham. Richard wouldn't show the fear he felt as chills went down his spine at the sound of the monsters. Richard turned around to find a large horde of the skeletal alien humanoids from the previous day. The aliens were approaching fast. The Dominators were ready to fight.

Richard felt Logan nudge him softly. Richard looked down at Logan as he grinned up at him. "Dick, say...say the thing, man."

Richard arched his eyebrow, then noticed Conner nodding behind Logan. "Yeah, I really love it when you say it," he said.

Richard smiled, then turned back to the oncoming horde of monsters racing towards him & his team. He felt his lips curl into a grin. He felt his confidence rise at the mere thought of him saying it one more time. It felt so right when he said it. Now was the best time, if not the last time, to say it. Richard took a deep breath, then shouted out to his team, "Titans, go!"

The Titans all ran down the empty streets towards the Dominators, each ready for combat. Richard led the team as they followed behind, with Raven, Starfire, & M'gann flying above him. A blast of warm, mystic energy flew right past Richard's head as it hit a Dominator, causing it to fly back. Richard turned to his side to spot Conner run up onto a broken down car, then leaping up in a high bound towards the mass of Dominators before him. His landing upon the ground caused a large shock throughout the ground, sending the Dominators away in a disorientated scatter. Richard glanced up above & saw Raven & Starfire shooting blasts of energy towards the scattered Dominators, while M'gann attacked the Dominators telekinetically.

Richard reached over his shoulder & removed his escrima staff from his back, & then broke it into two separate sticks. He roared as he leaped up in the air towards a Dominator. Before he managed to connect his electrifying sticks into the alien, a small Batarang flew into the alien's neck, then sent its own electrifying pulse into the monster. The monster collapsed as Richard landed in front of it. He turned & saw Tim standing on a nearby truck with his bo staff behind his neck. Tim was grinning. Richard nodded at the young Robin in approval, then surveyed the area around him.

Cyborg was a few feet in front of Richard, blasting at the monsters with his cannon arm. The Dominators were approaching him from all different angles, but none seemed to be able to lay a finger on the cybernetic warrior. Victor blasted each enemy away, sending them crashing into broken down cars & empty buildings all around him. Cyborg roared as he battled the aliens, showing an immense amount of fierceness than he had ever seen. Richard smiled softly at this sight.

Richard caught sight of a red streak of lightning zoom past Richard, speeding around a few Dominators at a time. For a split second, Richard could see the glimpse of Wally stopping in mid run, catching his breath. At that split second, a Dominator rushed by towards the speedster, fangs bared. Richard instinctively thrusted a winglet into the Dominator, stunning it for a brief moment. "Wally!" Richard called out to the young boy, warning him.

Wally turned to spot the Dominator, then ran in small circles in front of the monster, & as soon as the Dominator was about to attack, Wally thrusted his body into the Dominator, sending it flying into another small group of Dominators. Wally turned to Richard & held two thumbs up, causing Richard to laugh in amusement.

Suddenly, Richard felt a presence behind him. Richard spun quickly around, doing a roundhouse kick into a Dominator's face. The Dominator fell back, falling into the hood of a car, & groaned in its alien tongue. Richard saw a few more Dominators nearby, suddenly alerted by the attack. Richard bit his lip nervously, then readied himself as the group of Dominators all ran towards him. Richard brought his two escrima sticks together, creating the more powerful staff once more. Just as the Dominators were within reach, Richard caught sight of the Red Hood standing nearby, readying himself with his two handguns as well. The Red Hood turned to Richard & nodded slowly. "Ready for this, brother?" he said in a mechanical voice.

Richard nodded back with a confident grin. "Let's go!"

The two lunged at the Dominators, with weapons blazing. Richard's staff swung around, electrifying three Dominators at once. Jason leaped up, shooting one Dominator in the head from above, then jumped onto another Dominator's chest, sending it to the ground. As the Dominator snarled at Jason, he placed the gun into the alien's chest & shot it. Green pus-like blood shot out of the wound, spraying over Jason's red helmet. Richard swung his staff once more, blocking another Dominator's blow. The alien staggered back, allowing Richard to counter again, kicking the Dominator with a strong front kick. The Dominator fell to the ground, causing several other Dominators to stumble over the fallen alien. Richard took his staff & brought it down to the ground hard, causing an electrical static shock wave to shoot across the ground. The Dominators surrounding Jason & Richard, both on the ground & in full force to attack, were electrocuted. Jason turned & glanced at Richard. "Savage," he said, voice echoing underneath the helmet.

Richard nodded with a grin, then turned & spotted the rest of the Titans engaging in battle. Logan had transformed into a large eagle, swooping down into action every few moments he could. He pecked at several Dominators, stunning them as Kaldur'ahm attacked each alien with his aquatic whips. Richard watched as the water from Kaldur'ahm's weapons trailed after the mechanical base, then solidified before each blow he made, knocking each Dominator away. Kaldur glanced up at Logan in his bird form & grinned, which led to a squawk in response from Logan.

Richard caught sight of M'gann floating over the streets, sending psychic pulses into the ground. The ground began to shake, disorienting both the Dominators & the Titans. Richard took this as an opportunity to act fast. He adjusted his grip on his escrima sticks, & ran onto a nearby car. He ran across each car as the ground shook. As he ran, he tossed winglets at each Dominator, making note of the amount of damage that many winglets would do when in close range of one another. Richard finally made his way down to the corner of the street when he glanced back & caught sight of M'gann relaxing. As she took a breather, she floated down slowly, towards a horde of Dominators. Richard spotted Conner shoving past the aliens with a brutish force, then making his way towards M'gann. He let her fall slowly into his arms, then made a great bound of a leap across the street, towards Richard.

"Set her down over here," Richard called out to Conner. "See if you can get Wally & Victor to pull out the rest of the team fast."

Conner nodded. He set M'gann down against a street light, then ran back down the street. As he did, he lifted Dominators up off of several Titans, saving them from being feasted on by the monsters. He called out to Wally, who began speeding around the battle, moving several people down the street. One at a time, Zatanna appeared, then Roy, Jason, & Starfire. As Richard glanced back onto the street, he spotted Conner & Victor side by side. Conner held both Raven & Tim over his shoulders, while Victor held Logan & Artemis over his shoulders. The two ran towards Richard as the Dominators ran & followed behind. Richard waited until the Titans were close enough to him before he could activate his winglets. He waited…& waited…

Finally, when the horde of Dominators were close enough together, Richard activated the winglets. As he did, the winglets set off an electrical pulse throughout the massive group, electrocuting each alien. The electricity was enough to send a wave of heat over towards the team, blasting through the street lights. Car alarms began to blare & echo into the streets, & the Dominators hissed as their bodies sizzled in the electricity. Finally, the Dominators fell to the ground, & the streets were silent. Richard grinned to himself. The Dominators were down.

Suddenly, one Dominator slowly rose up from the ground, steam rising up from its skin. Somehow, one spare Dominator managed to not die. Then a second Dominator rose. Then a third. Suddenly, all of the Dominators rose up from the ground, & their dead eyes glared at Richard.

Richard felt one of the Titans approach him from the side, but he kept his gaze at the horde of aliens. "What's the plan, now?" Zatanna said softly, her voice trembling.

Richard stared back at the monsters, but after a few moments, he heard the same hissing & roars of the Dominators, but...they were coming from a different area. Richard spun around & looked down the street. The rest of the Titans turned & saw a second horde of monstrous Dominators making their way towards the Titans. They were cornered. Richard cursed to himself, glancing down both ends of the street. They needed a new tactic, or else they would all die.

Before Richard could make a move, the Dominators all hissed & pointed their long skeletal fingers up at the sky, causing the Titans to follow their gaze. They saw a winged humanoid soaring across the Gotham City skyline, making its way down the street. As it got closer, the Dominators began screeching in their native tongue, calling out the same foreign phrase over & over. Richard continued to stare up at the being, suddenly spotting a familiar hue of blue & black. The being had glowing yellow eyes that stared out into the halted battle before it. The being rose up its arm, which slowly transformed into a cannon. The cannon began to radiate a bright light from within itself, charging up some sort of energy blast.

"Look out!" Richard cried, throwing himself over Zatanna & M'gann, who happened to be closest to him. The rest of the Titans took cover as the blast shot out into the ground between the Titans & the Dominators, sending out a loud vibration with a scorching wave of heat. Richard felt a singeing sensation against his back, but suddenly a cool breeze washed over him. Richard glanced back over & saw a dark purple wall appear, forming out of some mystical dark energy. Richard glanced over & saw Raven, a few feet away, conjuring the shield out of her own energy. She looked to be struggling. Richard turned to Zatanna beside him. "Help Raven," he said.

Zatanna nodded, & rushed over to Raven. As she approached her, Raven dropped her arms weakly to her side, then staggered as though she had lost her footing. Zatanna helped her back onto her feet & shot blasts of white magic from her palm out towards the incoming Dominators. Richard turned back to spot the blue humanoid land on the ground before him. The wings it had began to take a smaller form behind its back, & the face melted away, revealing a familiar young boy. "Sup, hermano?" Jaime Reyes called out with a grin.

Richard shook his head as a grin rose over his own face. "Good to see you, Reyes," he said. "You showed up just in time."

Jaime's arm suddenly stuck out backward, shooting a ball of plasma energy out into some oncoming Dominators. Jaime turned back to Richard. "I got the Scarab on board with this fight, man. This is our world too."

Richard nodded. "Damn straight." Richard reached into his utility belt & removed several explosive orbs, & tossed them out into a nearby group of Dominators. As the Dominators leaped through the air towards Jaime & Richard, the orbs exploded, causing them to be blasted back. However, Jaime & Richard were blasted back as well. Richard was thrown against the hood of a nearby car, while Jaime skitted across the ground in his blue armor. Richard grunted as he sat up from the car, spotting the nearby Titans fight off the Dominators.

Starfire floated over towards Jaime, lending him a hand up off of the ground. He took the hand & nodded in approval as the two stood with their backs against one another. They began attacking the surrounding Dominators; Starfire used plasma energy generated from her palms while Jaime used the cannon formed from his armor. The two fought in a synchronized fashion. Richard began making his way across the street when a Dominator swung its arm at Richard suddenly. Richard took the hit with a hissed grunt, then swung his escrima stick at the Dominator's leg, causing it to trip & fall. Richard continued to limp away when he saw the rest of the Titans.

Wally was being held up by Jason as Artemis & Robin fended off the nearby Dominators around them. Somehow, Wally had grown even more injured than he previously was. He was in poor condition. The boy needed to get out of the fight, but there was no place for him to go. Richard let out a deep breath of despair as he caught sight of Roy standing above a burning car. Roy kept his arm back as he pulled the string back on his bow, shooting arrows into Dominators in a swift fashion. As he was shooting, a Dominator began crawling up the car, ready to attack. Before the alien could do so, a white mist of energy washed over the Dominator, sending it flying against the brick wall of a nearby building. Roy glanced over his shoulder just in time to spot the Dominator fall onto the ground, then he turned to spot the one who casted the spell. Zatanna smiled smugly as she tilted her hat towards Roy, who rolled his eyes with a smirk in response.

Richard turned to spot Kaldur'ahm fending off a larger Dominator when two more began running up towards the Atlantean from behind. Richard sped over towards Kaldur, connecting his two escrima sticks in hand, then leaped up into the air, & swung the staff down against one Dominator. The Dominator fell back, causing the other Dominator to stagger in surprise. Richard swung his staff at the Dominator's head, but swung too high as the Dominator dodged his swing. Richard pulled his staff past his hip, then shot it out towards the Dominator, shoving it deep into the alien's body. Green pus splattered from the wound as Richard pulled the staff back out from the body, causing the Dominator to fall back. Richard turned & caught Kaldur nodding at Richard with a slight grin. "Powerful technique," Kaldur'ahm said softly.

Just as Richard was about to make a witty response, he heard a loud explosion from behind him. He turned & spotted an electrical pole that had fallen onto a car, sparking a large flame. Nearby the car were Victor, Logan, & M'gann, each fending off several Dominators at once. Richard was about to make his way towards the group when he caught sight of them suddenly hovering over the flaming car & the horde of aliens. Richard gasped in awe as he noticed the Titans hovering with a dark purplish aura around them. Richard arched his eyebrow, then began searching.

Finally, he spotted Raven, conjuring up a spell to levitate her friends with one hand, while using her other hand to hold a nearby group of Dominators in place. As she kept the Dominators from moving, they roared & hissed in defiance. Raven's eyes were shut as she managed to keep focus on the spells she was casting. Richard suddenly spotted a small trail of blood dripping from her nose. Raven's lips trembled as her eyes fluttered open, revealing an orange hue rather than the usual purple. Raven gasped as the aura around her began to glow a rather bloody red. Her chest was heaving heavily, as though Raven was truly running out of breath.

Richard acted fast. He leaped over a fallen Dominator body, then slid beneath another Dominator, making his way towards Rachel. He ran fast, dodging flying debris. Richard saw Rachel's body begin to shake violently. She was going into shock. Richard sped over to Rachel & threw his body over her, dodging a swing from an attack from a nearby Dominator. Richard gasped, glancing down at Rachel. Her eyes shone a bright orange hue, something he had never seen before. Rachel moaned to herself, but as she did, dark growls echoed beneath her voice. Something was going on.

Richard glanced around in panic, He knew he needed to get Rachel out of the battle fast, but, he didn't know where he could take her. He surveyed the Titans fighting all around him. Beast Boy had begun fighting alongside Kaldur, taking on an immense amount of aliens. Starfire shot blasts of energy from above, handling crowd control. Down below, Richard saw Wally speed over towards Cyborg & Arsenal, as the three began taking on another horde of Dominators. Zatanna was holding Tim, casting some sort of spell over a wound he had on his chest. Richard felt a sudden fright for the Robin, but suddenly, he saw the wound close over Robin's flesh. Zatanna had healed him. Richard let out a sigh of relief, then noticed the building behind the Witch and the protégé. It was an abandoned coffee shop. Richard grinned to himself. That would work.

Richard bent down low to carry Raven in both of his arms, & hoisted the girl up, making sure to dodge any attacks from both the Dominators & the Titans. Richard carried Rachel through the debris, through the battle, making his way towards the abandoned coffee shop. Richard grunted, taking in deep breaths as he made his way towards the front door. Richard let out a gruff roar as he kicked the front door in, sending it flying off of its broken hinges. Richard let out a deep sigh as he took a few more steps, then collapsed with Rachel on his lap. He fell behind the cashier's counter, breathing heavily. Richard glanced up at Rachel, who was now shivering where she saw. Richard could see her lips tremble as she tried to force her eyes shut, but every few moments, her eyelids would flutter open, revealing the demonic hue of her eye color.

Richard wrapped his arms around Rachel & brought her head close to his chest. He held her so tight, as though he could keep her entire body from shaking anymore. Richard jolted where he sat, startled by an explosion outside. Richard shook his head frustratedly, then shut his eyes tight. He opened them & glanced back down at Rachel. She was still going into shock. Richard cursed to himself. He wanted it to all be over. Everything...he wanted everything to be over.

"Rachel," Richard breathed, "you've gotta come back. I...I dunno what's going on. I dunno if this is some demonic trip that you're having, or...some sort of spiritual panic attack, but, Rachel, I need you right now. We all need you." Richard glanced over the counter, surveying the battle outside. There were now more Dominators in view than there were Titans. Richard turned back to Rachel. "You told me I was the one who brought this team together...that I was the one who made this team a family. After I screwed up the first time, after Slade, I told myself I wouldn't mess up again. But here I am, holding your dying body in my arms, & the team isn't able to handle this right now. We are in way over our heads, & this is all my fault. I just...you always looked out for me, for all of us. You looked out the same way I did for you & the team." Richard shut his eyes tight once more, feeling a teardrop roll down his cheek. "Right now, Rachel, I need you to come back. I need-"

Suddenly, a booming explosion, louder than before, echoed all across the streets. Richard felt vibrations through the ground, & suddenly, car alarms outside were blaring. Richard peeked over the counter to spot the Dominators all backing up from...something on the streets. Was it one of the Titans? Had one of them scared them off? Was it the Justice League? Had the League finally returned? Just as Richard as about to sit up to get a better look, he felt Rachel stir on his lap. Richard glanced down at Rachel, who's eyes had suddenly shifted into her normal, dark hue. Rachel let out a soft moan as she looked up at Richard. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Dick," she muttered. She glanced around herself, taking in the surroundings, then looked back up at Richard, arching her eyebrow. "What...are we doing?"

Richard smiled softly, leaning in to hug Rachel. "You had me worried for a second, there," Richard said softly.

Rachel shook herself out of Richard's grip, then tried to sit up. After a moment, she collapsed on the ground, letting out a hurt grunt. "Dammit, that's not happening," she muttered to herself.

Richard sat up from the ground, then looked down at Rachel. "You've gotta stay here. You're worn out, & the battle just-"

Suddenly, another booming explosion echoed through the streets, this time causing Richard to feel an alarmed panic. Richard glanced back at Rachel, who nodded as she tried to get up off the floor, but winced in pain. Richard sighed, then turned & made his way towards the front door. As he stepped outside, he stared at the Dominators, all facing one end of the street. Richard followed the Dominator's gaze, glancing up in the air. Richard squinted, unable to make out exactly what he saw.

Up floating above the streets was what looked like some humanoid being. The being had curved hips, like a woman. As the being floated, the sun shone behind it, causing the light to create a silhouette for the being. The being, however, began to float down, away from the sunlight. Richard was able to make out the leather outfit that the being wore. The outfit was glossy leathery material. As light glistened off of the suit, Richard could spot a blueish hue on the edges. The outfit stretched across the being's legs, exposing no skin anywhere around their leg. The being's arms were gloved with a blueish colored sleeve, but...Richard noticed that the being's hands were...smoking. Smoke rose from the being's palms, as though energy was being emitted from them. Richard glanced up at their face. He saw a domino eye mask, similar to his own, covering the being's face. The being then shook its head, exposing their long, red hair.

Richard arched his eyebrow in confusion. "Cheyenne?" he gasped.

Suddenly, the masked metahuman swung her hand, sending a gushing wave of energy through the streets. The wave pushed several cars, sending them flying over Richard. Several cars landed on the Dominators, exploding upon heavy impact. Richard ducked as the wave of heat from the explosions pushed him across the concrete. Richard sat up, trying to spot any signs of the Titans. A few of them had made their way across the street, taking cover behind where the metahuman was floating. However, Richard suddenly caught sight of Artemis, clutching her leg. Richard saw a pool of blood around Evelyn. She was wounded.

Richard cursed to himself as he glanced between the retreating Dominators, the floating metahuman, & the area that the Titans had suddenly taken cover by. Richard had to move quickly. Richard ran over to the side of the street where Evelyn sat & knelt down beside her. Evelyn let out a cry as Richard removed her hands from her leg, examining the wound. Her thigh was cut opened badly. However, it didn't seem as though any major artery had been exposed, so she would be fine, for the most part. Richard was about to cover up the wound when he felt the vibrations within the ground again. "Duck," he hissed, pressing Evelyn's head down behind the block of debris they taking cover behind.

As the two bent their heads low, Richard felt the surge of energy wash over him, making its way towards the Dominators. The aliens howled in pain as the energy blast burned the first few Dominators, causing their bodies to collapse on the ground. A few Dominators rushed to examine the fallen, but quickly backed away in panic. This metahuman had the Dominators on their last legs.

Richard turned back to Evelyn. He reached for the bottom of the shirt she wore under her coat & ripped off a portion of it. He took the piece of cloth & wrapped it around Evelyn's leg tightly, stopping the wound from bleeding. Richard then placed his hands under Evelyn & hoisted her up, carrying her as well. Richard grunted as he made his way, in more of a rushed panic, away from the Dominators. Richard cursed to himself as he began to feel his own legs cramping. He didn't think he'd have to carry people, but he was just finding more & more surprises every minute.

As Richard made his way towards the Titans, he glanced up at the floating metahuman above him. He caught sight of the girl's face, getting a closer look. "Cheyenne?" he muttered once more. Underneath the eye mask, it really did resemble Cheyenne. Plus, the levitation...the telekinesis...these were all Cheyenne's metahuman abilities. But why was she there now? Why was she helping fight the Dominators? Where the hell did she get the suit?

Richard made his way towards Roy, who took Evelyn off of his hands. He set Evelyn down behind a car as the rest of the Titans stared at the metahuman above. Richard saw the look in everyone's eyes. Everyone feared the person above them. Nobody knew who she was, or how she managed to gain enough power to singlehandedly fight the Dominators off. Richard bit his lip. Was her power dangerous enough to harm the Titans?

Richard turned towards the metahuman slowly. He brought his hands up to his mouth & called out to the girl. "Cheyenne!" he cried. "Is that you?" Suddenly, the metahuman turned to face Richard, but as she did, he couldn't see her eyes looking at him. Instead, her eyes were glowing a bright white hue, startling Richard. Was she also overwhelmed by her abilities, like Rachel? Or was this something else entirely?

Cheyenne turned back to the Dominators & outstretched her hands. Richard caught sight of her hands glowing with a white misty energy. Cheyenne brought her hands up, & as she did, the energy forming around her hands grew brighter. It formed an even larger form of energy, causing the ground to vibrate beneath Richard's feet. Before he could call out to her, Cheyenne brought her hands down. Suddenly, the earth below shook violently. A wave of bright energy washed across the street, making its way through the abandoned cars & debris. Car alarms began blaring, while some cars exploded. Some windows shattered, while some buildings collapsed. The power Cheyenne used had an effect that made Richard feel as though he was witnessing the end of the world. The telekinesis was too strong for her to contain.

Finally, the wave of energy made its way towards the Dominators. The aliens all howled & hissed as the energy washed over their bodies, sizzling their grey skeletal corpses. The Dominators all collapsed, leaving none standing. The Dominators were dead.

Richard let out a sigh of relief. They won.

Suddenly, Cheyenne's head began swaying side to side. Richard reacted fast, making his way towards Cheyenne as she fell from above. Richard caught the girl in his arms, grunting as he held her tight. Richard bent down low as he set her body down. Richard eyed Cheyenne carefully. The suit she wore puzzled Richard. He examined the misty energy from her palms. For the moment, her powers seemed dormant, as she was drained of her own energy. However, Richard still couldn't help but wonder whether it was safe to have her using her abilities, or rather...safe for anyone else.

Richard stood up & turned towards the Titans. Everyone stood & began staring at the destruction that took place before them. Kori's eyes were wide with fear, while Zatanna bit her lip nervously. Logan looked up at Victor nervously, while Victor clenched his jaw. Richard's eyes fell on Tim, who looked up at him for guidance.

Richard opened his mouth to speak when suddenly, a yellow streak of lightning appeared on the street, taking the form of a familiar red suited speedster. Richard arched his eyebrow as the Flash from Star Labs stood in the middle of the street. He removed his cowl, revealing his brown hair combed off to the side. Barry Allen stared at the scene before him with a shock over his face. He turned & gasped when he saw Richard, but almost didn't recognize him in his Nightwing suit. He opened his mouth to call out to Richard when his eyes fell behind Richard, focusing on someone else. Suddenly, Barry sped with his speed past Richard, making his way behind Richard. Richard turned to spot Barry kneeling beside Wally, who was breathing heavily. His clothes were tattered, exposing heavy bruises around his body & cried up cuts & open wounds. Barry let out a shuddered breath, then turned & glanced up at Richard, as though begging Richard for help. Richard bit his lip, then looked away from the two.

Suddenly, within a split second, another person appeared. It was a girl with bright brown hair, wearing a red skirt & a blue top. She wore a red cape over her shoulders, &...she was floating in the air. As she floated, she turned to face the Titans, exposing the red S that she bore on her chest. It was the same Kryptonian symbol that Superman wore...the same one that Conner wore. Suddenly, Conner stood up from behind a car, gazing up at the female Kryptonian. Richard wasn't sure if Conner recognized the girl or not, but Richard was confused for sure.

The Kryptonian glanced at Barry & nodded at him, as though asking him a question without speaking in front of Richard & his team. Richard turned to Barry, nodded back at the girl. When Richard turned back towards the Kryptonian, she shot out into the sky, sending a loud boom in her wake. Richard let out an exhausted sigh, turning back to the Flash.

Barry shut his eyes as Wally laid beside him, worn out & almost dead. Barry opened his eyes slowly, shaking his head in despair. Richard felt his gut grow heavy. He knew he shouldn't have brought the boy into the fold. He knew he shouldn't have allowed Wally to fight. And now...the kid was practically dead.

Suddenly, Barry's hand shot up to his ear. He listened to some static communication, then nodded. He sighed, then stood up. Barry brought his cowl over his head, then turned to Richard. Barry glanced at Wally, then turned back to Richard. Underneath his cowl, Richard could see the amount of fear & hurt that was on his face. Richard nodded, letting Barry know that he would return Wally safe. Barry nodded back, then sped off in a streak of yellow light, disappearing out of the abandoned streets of Gotham.


	24. Chapter 24: The Calm

**Chpt. XXIV: The Calm**

Richard stared at the large computer screen over the console in the center of the Titans' cave. He watched as a news broadcast aired a live report coming from downtown Central City. The news reporter had stated that the sightings of aliens was merely civilian speculation, & no concrete evidence of an invasion was apparent. Richard sighed as civilians gave their testimonies on TV. One lady claimed that the aliens she saw roaming the streets were, in fact, real extraterrestrials, & not some sort of metahuman breed. Another man believed that some conspiracy was at hand, but he wouldn't definitively claim to have seen aliens. Then, the news reporter interviewed a child, saying he saw monsters, & that he was scared. Then the boy mentioned seeing the Flash for a split second, & suddenly, the monsters flew up into the sky. The news broadcast ended with the reporter admitting to something strange occurring in the city, but reminded the viewers that the theories were up for speculation.

Richard pressed a button on the console's dashboard, shutting the screen off. The rest of the broadcasts went on like that, from Coast City's news to Gotham City. Everyone was either denying the invasion, or they were crazy for believing in such a thing. It didn't matter, though. The Titans had helped stop the Dominators. They were the guardians that appeared from the shadows, defending the city. They didn't need the recognition, or the pat on their backs. It was their world. The Titans helped save the world.

Richard turned & rested his hands against the dashboard, glancing around the open area in front of him. The Titans were now all around him, talking amongst themselves. Many of them were injured from the battle. After the Flash & the other Kryptonian came through Gotham, the Dominator corpses disappeared into the sky, & the Titans decided to leave the premises as fast as they could. It proved difficult to carry a large team, however. Zatanna managed to transport everyone from Gotham into the caverns in D.C., including the worn out Raven & Cheyenne. Richard rubbed his face frustratedly, still shocked that Cheyenne had managed to track the team down & stop the Dominators in Gotham. He would need to have a talk with her about that.

Richard jumped at the sudden cries of pain coming from the right. Richard turned to see Tim laying on a mat beside Zatanna & Jason. Zatanna was casting some mystical spell over Tim's wounds, which still hadn't healed. Richard knew that the invasion was dangerous, but he hadn't expected Tim to be hurt. Tim was one of the finest martial artists that Richard knew. Richard was ashamed for not having been there to help the young protégé. Jason sat beside Tim, with his red helmet placed to the side. Jason's head was rested in between his knees as he wrapped his arms around his legs. Richard recognized that pose. Jason would always bury his head in his knees whenever he was afraid. After training with the Batman, Jason would often go up to his room & sit in his bed in that position. It had been years since Richard had seen Jason to it, but...he was doing it now, afraid for Tim.

Off to the side, Richard saw Kori tending to Evelyn's leg. Kori was massaging the bandaged leg, rubbing it with some sort of energy from her palms. Kori's hands glowed a soft green hue as she hummed, rubbing the leg softly. Evelyn winced, but managed to keep her composure as Kori remedied the leg. Near the two girls were Jaime, Kaldur'ahm, & Wally. The Scarab had removed its armor from Jaime, giving the boy his natural appearance once more. Jaime was sitting beside Kaldur, who had proven himself trustworthy of being among the rest of the Titans. After a few brief moments of hesitation, Richard now realized he could trust the Atlantean. Kaldur was kneeling on the ground beside Wally, who was still bruised & bloodied all around. However, he managed to wear a smile across his face. Richard felt a huge amount of guilt for bringing in the two inexperienced kids into the mission. Richard knew that, according to the scarab, the two would prove to be beneficial to the fight, but Richard still felt the weight of what had happened to Evelyn & Wally on his conscious. Evelyn's leg would eventually heal, as it was a minor wound, & Wally's speed somehow managed to accelerate his metabolism, expediting his healing, but...still. They were kids. They could've died.

Richard felt a sudden grasp over his shoulder. In a startled jump, Richard spun around, finding Victor standing before him. "Jeez," Richard gasped, "you scared me."

Victor nodded softly, biting his lip. "Sorry," he said. "I forget...everyone is a little jumpy right now, after everything."

Richard scoffed. "You could say that, yeah."

Victor cleared his throat, then gestured behind him. "M'gann just finished checking out Rachel."

Richard's eyes widened. "How is she?"

Victor gave Richard a faint smile. "She's good, man. She's up & walking. She's still pretty drained, but she feels okay."

Richard nodded, releasing a sigh of relief. "That's great," he said with a smile. He looked up at Cyborg. "Vic, did you see what happened to her?"

Victor shook his head. "No, but when M'gann was in her head fixing her, she said she saw a lot of darkness." Victor gave Richard a shrug. "Knowing Rachel, that could mean just about anything."

Richard bit his lip, shaking his head. "I...I dunno, man. She was different for a minute. She...she was losing control."

The two stayed quiet for a few moments. Victor brought his hand up over his neck, scratching it awkwardly. "So," Victor started, "Roy told me...you got abducted by them?"

Richard eyed Victor for a moment. Victor was staring down, one human eye making eye contact, while the robotic red light shined down at him. Richard sighed, nodding solemnly. "Yeah, I, uh...I did."

Victor shook his head. "I don't get it, man. How the hell did that happen?"

Richard bit his lip. He had forgotten that nobody knew why Richard had vanished. "I got intel from Barbara back in Gotham. She knew how to get rid of the mind control the Dominators had over you."

Victor arched his eyebrow. "You mean the Batgirl?" he asked.

Richard sighed. "Yeah, man, her." He turned, facing the rest of the injured Titans, then continued. "I drove out looking for the mind control device that the Dominators used. I, uh...actually ran into Nolan Drake, man."

Victor blinked. "Okay, you lost me, bro."

RIchard let out a soft laugh. He had forgotten how much the rest of the team had missed out on. "Gotham's power outage hit Blackgate. Nolan broke out of prison, & the two of us were cornered by Dominators." Richard paused, choosing his next words carefully. "The Dominators...they were going to kill you, Vic. All of you. The reason they came to Earth was because of the Flash, & the timeline being changed, & every other metahuman posing a threat to the universe. They wanted to kill you all." Richard shut his eyes tight, forcing himself not to let himself shed a tear. "I had to do something, man."

Victor didn't say anything for a few moments. Richard heard the sounds of idle chatter around the caves & his heartbeat. Suddenly, Richard felt Victor's heavy hand on his shoulder once more. Richard glanced up & saw Victor smiling down at Richard. "You know," Victor said, "if my body still had tear ducts in my eye, I'm pretty sure I'd be bawling tears right now, yo."

Richard scoffed, laughing softly. Victor wrapped both of his large arms & hugged Richard tight, embracing him brotherly. The two hugged for a few moments. "You gotta stop thinking it's all on you, my man," Victor said softly. He pulled away from Richard, then looked him straight in the eyes. "Dick, you're just one guy. You can't carry the weight of the world on you like that, man." Victor let out a sigh, then spoke again. "The thing with Slade...that was something you took upon yourself to do…'for the sake of the mission'. Serving yourself up to a bunch of aliens, sacrificing yourself 'for the sake of the mission', it doesn't mean anything if you turn out dead, man. You can't keep doing that, man.

Richard sighed, releasing a shuddered breath under soft tears as Victor continued. "Your biggest weakness was never being human," Victor said. "It's the love you have for us, I think. You care too much, you know? You put our well being before yours, &..." Victor's voice trailed off. Victor sighed. "You...you're gonna get yourself killed if you're not careful, man."

Richard felt the tears coming. He knew Victor was right. Some part of Richard had grown reckless, ever since the Underground. There was an impulsiveness that Richard felt he hadn't fully conquered. After leaving Gotham, the Batman, & the rest of the Titans, Richard thought he had finally gotten a grip on everything. Maybe...maybe no matter how much he tried, he would never be fully in control. He would always be looking for the thrill of everything, until he finally lost complete & utter control. He lost control when he was abducted, & he could've died. Victor was right. If he wasn't careful, the game would kill him...just like Harper Row had said.

Richard raised his hand up to his eyes, wiping the tears from his face, then patted Victor's metallic shoulder, who was looking away solemnly. "Hey," Richard finally said. "I'm sorry. For everything."

Victor turned & smiled at Richard, nodding in approval. A sudden weight felt as though it had been lifted off of Richard's shoulder. He felt as though, despite making reckless mistakes, he had finally heard what he needed to hear in order to understand what it meant to be a hero. It wasn't having to be superpowered, or super all of the time. Richard learned that early on in his life. It was him uniting the team, being able to lead them & bring them together. That meant putting his full trust & faith in the team, & not going rogue any longer. Suddenly, a thought crept into Richard's head. He needed to put trust & faith in...the team. Would the Titans...finally get back together?

Suddenly, Richard was startled by a loud howl. A literal wolf's howl Richard turned to spot Logan in the form of a small, green wolf, howling up in the air. Beside him was Roy, who was walking beside Rachel. Rachel walked slowly over towards the console, holding her arms up to catch herself as she stumbled, still weakened by her sudden drain of power. Richard smiled as Rachel approached him & Victor. "Come here!" Victor cried, yanking Rachel over to him & hugging her tightly.

"Ow, ow, ow, okay, ow." Rachel croaked from beneath Victor's biceps. "That hurts!"

Richard laughed, pulling Victor away from the small empath. "Dude, you're gonna snap her in half," Richard joked. He turned to Rachel, who smile faintly at Richard. Suddenly, he felt a large grin rise over his face, & he threw his arms around Rachel, hugging her tightly as well.

"Oh, God," Rachel muttered as her face was buried in Richard's chest. "This is getting super weird now, dude."

Richard laughed, releasing Rachel from his arms. He turned to Roy, who crossed his arms over his chest & shook his head. "Yeah, I'm glad she's okay, but I'm definitely not hugging her," he said jokingly.

Rachel glanced at Roy & rolled her eyes. Rachel turned &, suddenly, the green wolf Logan shapeshifted into leaped onto Rachel. Rachel managed to catch the small wolf in her hands. The wolf began licking Rachel's face, giving sloppy dog kisses. After a few moments, Rachel brought her face up, away from the wolf. "I don't like this reward for all of my hard work this week," Rachel groaned.

Rachel set Logan down, who shifted back into his normal self. Richard saw Logan approach Rachel, when suddenly Kori flew over towards Rachel, wrapping her long arms around Rachel's neck, hugging her tightly. "Oh, Rachel!" Kori cried. "I am overwhelmed with joy & relief, now that you have recovered!" Kori pulled herself away from Rachel. "Do you feel all better & well?" Before Rachel could respond, Kori let out a screech of excitement, hugging Rachel tight once more. "Oh, it does not matter! You are here now, & that it is all any of us could ever hope for!"

The two hugged for a few moments. Richard chuckled to himself, noticing Rachel's smushed face against Kori's shoulders. "Yeah," Rachel sighed. "I'm here."

Richard smiled at the group's moment of celebration. He glanced at everybody. Victor, Logan, Rachel, Kori, & Roy were each a part of Richard's initial Titans team. They were with him from the beginning, ever since Cadmus, & the tyranny of Nolan Drake back in Gotham. They were all there. Suddenly, a thought crept in Richard's head. Conner was there too. But...where was Conner now?

Richard stepped past Roy, making his way towards the area where M'gann tended to Rachel. He saw M'gann sitting beside Cheyenne's body. Cheyenne was unconscious still, & M'gann was deep in thought, or, at least in telekinetic thought. Richard glanced around & spotted Conner, sitting against the cavern walls alone. Richard sighed. Conner looked just like he did all those years ago, when Richard first rescued him from Cadmus. Conner had been sitting against the wall, shy & nervous with no memory of anything or anyone. Now, years later, Conner sat in the same position, against a wall, alone.

Richard made his way towards Conner & slid down the wall, sitting on the ground beside Conner. Richard turned to him, but Conner didn't glance at Richard. He was deep in thought. What was Conner thinking of?

Richard cleared his throat. "You did amazing," Richard said with a smile. "I didn't realize how amazing you really are. Like, super strength & heat vision, man. You really managed to hand it to those aliens."

Conner remained silent for a few moments. At first, Richard felt as though Conner was ignoring him. Richard almost felt offended, but knew that something was bothering Conner. Conner would speak when he was ready.

Richard sat there, beside Conner, for minutes. The two sat in silence as Richard waited for Conner to build up the courage to speak. Finally, Conner shifted where he sat, then spoke. "Who was she?" he breathed.

Richard turned to Conner & arched an eyebrow. "Come again?"

Conner sighed. "That...that girl. The one who showed up with that red speedster. She was from the House of El." Conner turned to Richard, then gestured to his own shirt. "The big S she wore. It was the same as Superman's insignia...the same as mine." Conner rubbed his chest, feeling the S on his shirt, then shook his head. "She was a Kryptonian, like Clark, but...I've never heard of her. I didn't know there were other living Kryptonians from the House of El." Conner scoffed. "I didn't know there were other living Kryptonians period!"

Richard nodded, letting the words sink in. Conner removed a cellphone from his pocket. "I googled 'Superwoman,' & got no results. 'Supergirl' came up empty, too." Conner tossed his phone aside, then ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I don't know what to make of this, man."

Richard sighed, placing a comforting hand on Conner's shoulder. "I know, man," Richard said. "Listen. The Justice League should be returning to the Watchtower soon. Once they do, I'm going to go check in, give a status report on what happened. Everything. I'm going to ask Clark about this...Supergirl, okay?"

Conner bit his lip, then glanced up at Richard. "He hasn't come back, yet?"

Richard shook his head. "I don't think so. I really don't know, actually. I'm going to have to go see them soon." Conner nodded. With that, Richard patted his shoulder once more, then stood up, making his way towards the console. He glanced back at M'gann, tending to Cheyenne. Part of him was frightened by Cheyenne, but, part of him was afraid for her life.

Richard walked up to Roy, who was talking to Logan & Victor. Richard pulled Roy aside, then spoke to him. "I'm going to head to Central City & drop the speedster off home, then I'm going to see the League. Can you watch everyone, & make sure everyone gets home alright?"

Roy nodded. "Sure, yeah, I'll take Evelyn back to Star CIty." He turned to Logan & Victor. "I'm sure these two goons are gonna be okay," he joked.

Logan crossed his arms & pouted. "How come you didn't ask me to watch everyone, Dick?"

Victor shoved Logan. "Boy, it's because you've got the attention span of an acorn!"

Roy & Victor let out booming howls of laughter as Logan glanced between them confusedly. "What...I don't get it, what?"

Richard rolled his eyes, walking past the three, then made his way towards Wally, Jaime, & Kaldur'ahm. He knelt down in front of the three & nodded. "Alright, I've gotta take Wally back to Central City. Anyone needs to hitch a ride?"

Jaime smiled. "Thanks, hermano, but I think I've got a ride," he said, throwing a thumb back over his shoulder, gesturing to the Scarab.

Richard arched his eyebrow. "You sure? I mean, where are you gonna stay now?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Jaime asked, glancing at everyone around him. "I've got a whole new gang of badass hombres y mamitas, man! I know somebody is looking for a roommate," he said with a grin. Jaime nodded over towards Victor & Logan. "Those two clowns probably are, right?"

Richard glanced over at Victor & Logan. Victor gave Jaime a thumbs up, while Logan rolled his eyes, giving Logan the middle finger. Richard laughed, then turned towards Kaldur'ahm. Richard nodded at the Atlantean. "What about you? Do you need a ride...to...the coast?"

Kaldur laughed softly. "No, thank you. I will return to Atlantis soon, where I can hopefully serve my King once more," he said in a cool low voice. Kaldur glanced at Jaime & Wally. "However, in the meantime, the rest of your comrades must have a safe eye on them. I can watch over them while you travel, Richard, if you wish."

Richard smiled softly, then nodded. He stood up, then reached down & gave Wally a hand up. Richard walked with Wally towards the caverns, then turned to Wally. "I'm gonna meet up with you, okay? Don't wander off too far."

Wally nodded, & Richard turned back & made his way towards Zatanna, Tim, & Jason. Richard kneeled down beside Zatanna. "What's the status?" he asked.

Zatanna turned to Richard & smiled softly. "He's gonna be okay," she said softly. "Tim's a strong kid."

"He gets that from me," Jason said jokingly, winking at Zatanna. Richard laughed as Zatanna scoffed, rolling her eyes. Jason glanced at Richard, & Richard noticed Jason's face suddenly grow serious. A small smile rose over his lips, & Jason nodded slowly at Richard. Richard smiled, then nodded back at the former Robin.

"Dick," Tim breathed. Richard looked down at Tim, who's eyes fluttered opened. "We...we did it, huh?"

Richard smiled. "We did it, man. We did it."

Tim nodded with a faint grin on his face. "Nice," he croaked. He turned to Zatanna & smiled. "Thank you for stitching me back together, Doc."

Zatanna smiled. "Anything for a boy dressed like a robin," she laughed, pinching Tim's cheek. "You're just as cute as Dick was when I first met him."

Jason groaned. "Girl, they aren't even related!" He cried.

Zatanna rolled her eyes, then turned back to Tim. "Okay, don't drink any goat blood or eat hellhound livers, or your wounds will open right back up."

Tim stared at Zatanna, his eyes wide with fear. He turned to Richard. "She's joking, right?"

Richard let out a deep sigh, glancing at Zatanna. "You know, half the time, I really don't know, dude." Richard shrugged. "I kinda just go with it." Tim let out a groan as Richard laughed. After he shut his eyes for a few moments, Tim fell straight asleep. Richard bit his lip, then turned to Zatanna & Jason. "Can one of you take him back to Gotham once he feels better?"

Jason nodded as Zatanna smiled. "Sure," said the witch. "What about everyone else?"

Richard sighed, standing up & glancing around at the Titans. He looked at each & every single person in the caves & smiled. Everyone made it back alive. That was all that Richard could've hoped for. Despite their success & victory, the team was still put under too much risk. Richard couldn't expect them to stay & continue to fight with him. It had caused too much pain already, both for him & everyone involved. He needed to let them go.

Richard shook his head. "Just make sure you shut the console down when you all go," Richard said softly, making his way towards the caverns exit, where Wally stood, waiting to return to the Flash back in Central City.


	25. Chapter 25: Consequences

**Chpt. XXV: Consequences**

Richard walked down the hallway of the Star Labs facility, making his way towards the Cortex, where the Flash operated out of. Richard walked alongside Wally, who wore a look of nervousness & concern on his face. He walked a few steps behind Richard, looking as though he was a young boy in trouble with a parent. Richard felt a similar amount of shame & guilt himself. He knew he shouldn't have taken Wally with him to fight the Dominators, but, it was all over now. Richard would finally be able to bring the boy back, where he could continue to recover & train alongside the Flash. It was where Wally belonged, despite all that had happened.

Wally stepped up to Richard & tapped his shoulder. "Hey," Wally started, "do you think he'll be mad?"

Richard sighed. "Honestly, I dunno," Richard admitted. "I've never seen the Flash be mad. Or, at least...I never saw the Flash I knew get upset."

Wally nodded. "Yeah, I guess it isn't Barry I need to be worried about," he said. "My sister...now, she's the scary one."

Richard laughed softly. "Oh, yeah, she is."

As the two made their way into the Cortex, they saw the Barry Allen standing at the center of the Cortex. He was beside the computer dashboard in civilian clothes. He had his arms crossing his chest, with a look of relief on his face. Barry had on a dark blazer with a maroon button up underneath. He looked as though he had just come from some festive event. It seemed strange, considering the circumstances. Barry nodded at Richard. "Thanks for bringing him back," he said.

Richard shrugged. "Sure thing. He behaved himself on the drive back," he said jokingly.

Wally scoffed. "HE is standing right here!" he whined.

Barry walked over to Wally & nudged his shoulder. "HE is in trouble," Barry said. "Caitlin is in the medbay waiting for you."

Wally groaned. "Dude, seriously? I'm fine, man! I healed up-"

"Dude, seriously!" Barry said, this time with more of a serious tone. "Iris blew my cell up with voicemails, saying YOU vanished, & somehow it was MY fault!"

"Well, I didn't-"

Richard stepped up to Wally, patting the boy on his shoulder. "Kid, go to the medbay," he said calmly. "I need to talk to Barry for a second."

Wally sighed in defeat, glaring between Barry & Richard, then made his way to the medbay. Richard shook his head, then turned to Barry. Richard brought his hands up in defeat. "Okay, let me have it."

Barry arched his eyebrow. "What?"

Richard nodded. "I owe you a free swing. Two, for Wally."

Barry waved Richard off, walking over to the console. "Nah, man, it's fine." Barry let out a sigh, shaking his head. "I'm not...mad. Not really, anyway."

Richard walked up to Barry & looked up at him. "For the record, Wally really was good," Richard said. "The kid has a lot of potential. He may be a little headstrong, but, we all are when we first start this gig, you know?"

Barry nodded, letting out a sigh. "I just...he's my girlfriend's brother, man. I need to be careful with him," he explained. "Ever since he's gotten his speed, this was all he wanted to do. I can't blame him, you know? It's just...Iris doesn't want him to get hurt." Barry shrugged. "It's going to be hard, now that he's gotten a taste of the action."

Richard sighed. "Again, sorry about that. We had a guy recommend that we recruit a speedster."

Barry nodded, then turned to Richard. "So...you're a superhero, too."

Richard laughed, running a hand through his hair. "Define 'super.'"

Barry chuckled softly, then nodded. "And that team...the team I saw you with back in Gotham...is that your...what did you call them? Your 'Justice League?'"

Richard shook his head, then laid his hands against the console, leaning forward. "No, man, that wasn't the League. That was my own team. We...we used to be the Titans."

"Used to be?"

Richard bit his lip. "Yeah, uh...we broke up awhile ago. I only called them back to help with the invasion. We, uh...we're not really a team, still."

Richard stood there, staring out into space. He really was unsure of what the fate of the Titans was. The invasion didn't necessarily mean that the team would get back together. A lot needed to change. Despite everything, Richard needed to change. He had his own problems he needed to sort out, & those were problems he couldn't afford letting the team get caught in. With all that he saw in the Dominator's dreamscape, & his impulsiveness to risk himself for everything, it was something he told himself he'd never do again. He needed to sort things out on his own.

"Wally thinks your team is good," Barry suddenly said. Richard turned to Barry, who was smiling up at Richard. "I mean...before you got here, Wally called me. He let me know that he was safe, back at some...cave?" Richard scoffed softly, laughing. It must've sounded strange to Barry. The Flash continued. "He said your team was really cool, & you guys handled the aliens like badasses." Barry laughed softly, shrugging. "I dunno what you see in your team, but Wally sees something there."

Richard nodded with a faint smile. "We are a pretty good team," Richard admitted with a grin.

Barry cleared his throat. "You know, we got ourselves our own team, too," he said braggingly. "Team Flash, plus Team Arrow, plus Team Legends, & altogether, we made ourselves our own superhero team."

Richard eyed Barry. He remembered Wally saying that Barry had met up with the Green Arrow & several others to handle the aliens, but, he really hadn't expected them to be that involved in the invasion. Did the Titans & Barry's teams really take out the Dominators...without the League? Or was the League involved in some other way? A lot was still left unanswered in regards to the League & where they went after the discovery of Flashpoint.

"So," Richard started, "I...actually got abducted by the Dominators, Barry."

Barry gasped. "No way! So did my friends!"

Richard nodded, disregarding the statement. "Yeah, anyway...when they got me, they told me some things. They mentioned 'the one that alters reality,' & caused a shift in the universe or something." Richard turned to Barry & caught his face shift into a solemn look. "Barry, they mentioned you by name. They know what you-"

"I know," Barry said, a hint of anger in his voice. Richard was startled at the sudden change in the man's attitude. Barry sighed. "I...I know. I'm the reason they came here. They...they wanted me to surrender myself for what I did in Flashpoint."

Richard nodded. "I actually got a warning beforehand about Flashpoint." Barry turned & looked up at Richard. Richard sighed, continuing. "It was a few months ago. I found some kid in Star City who was caught up with a local gang. He...he was connected to some alien tech. The tech had a message for me about someone who alters time & reality." RIchard turned to Barry. "What you did...it resonated with just about every alien race in the universe, I think."

Barry nodded slowly. He sat down on a chair in front of the computer console & rubbed his face with his hands frustratedly. Richard sat down at a chair beside Barry, rubbing his thighs awkwardly. He wasn't sure what to say or do at the moment. He wasn't sure how Barry felt at all, really. The fact that Barry had done something so drastic, that it had effects that had consequences more larger than what Richard had initially anticipated, it...it was hard to wrap his head around. Richard didn't think the cryptic messages was connected to something like this at first, but now, it was all clear. It was all about Flashpoint. It still left Richard wondering...what else was affected by Flashpoint?

Barry sat up & took a deep breath. "When I first got back...from Flashpoint...things were different." Barry turned to Richard. "Things in Flashpoint were already different, & they were good for a while, but when I tried to fix everything, things had still changed. You know that, with your friend coming back to life." Barry bit his lip, then turned & sighed. "I...tried to go back in time to fix things again. After Flashpoint, after coming back, I thought I could go again & fix it one more time. I was stopped by a friend. He reminded me that there are consequences to time travel, & that no matter what I did, I could never reset things & put it back to how they were." Richard let the words sink in, as Barry sat back in his seat. "I know I'm not a god, Richard. I know what I did was wrong. I...I wish I could fix it, but I can't. And now...that's going to be on my conscious. What happened this week with the Dominators, & everything since Flashpoint, I'm going to have to be the one to carry that burden. I just have to learn to accept the consequences of what I've done."

Richard nodded, looking up at Barry. "You know," Richard started, "it takes a hell of a man to accept the consequences of what he's done, despite all of the baggage that comes with that." Richard sighed. "Believe me, I know what it's like."

Richard stared down at his feet as he felt Barry's eyes traced on him. "You mentioned your team breaking up," Barry said. "It...had something to do with you, didn't it? Something you did?"

Richard scoffed. "Yeah, you could say that."

Barry leaned forward, nodding slowly. He cleared his throat. "How...how did you deal with it?"

Richard shrugged. "With the guilt of losing the trust of all my friends? I did what every hero does. I disappeared, sulked, & tried to move on." Richard shook his head. "I don't think I really moved on, though."

Barry scratched his head. "I don't think I'll ever be able to move past this," he said. "I mean...I feel like this whole thing brought us closer together, & helped build more trust among our friends, but still...this is going to take time."

Richard nodded. "Sure, I guess," Richard said, thinking of how the Titans managed to come together, despite their past with Richard, & work together for a common goal. Even at the cave, the team seemed to grow quite fond of one another. "We did good, but, it's scary to think of what else might come our way, now that Earth has a target on its head."

Barry shook his head. "Man, I just came back from the bar with a friend, thinking I would end this night like a normal guy," he said. Richard laughed, slapping Barry's shoulder. Barry scoffed. "I'm serious! I almost felt normal, & then you come in here, saying that there's going to be MORE trouble?"

Richard stood up from the chair, then began walking towards the hall leading out of the Cortex. "If you're going to be a hero, you've always gotta be prepared for the worst."

Just as Richard was about to step into the hall, Barry called out to Richard. "Hey, um…" Richard turned to face Barry. "That...League, you mentioned...I mean, I dunno what kind of team it is, or what team you have, but since I got my guys together, do you think we would ever do another, like, team up?"

Richard arched his eyebrow, scoffing. "What, you wanna save the world again?"

Barry rolled his eyes. "I mean, like, could we make up a new team? Your teams plus my teams could become an even bigger League.

Richard sighed at the sound of Barry's offer. It felt silly, referring to the Justice League & the Titans as merely 'teams' that would work alongside Barry's unit. Sure, with the Flash that Richard knew having gone missing, it would be convenient for him to have another speedster to count on when needed. Aside from that, if another crisis were to arise again, Richard would need more people to cooperate with. Plus, the Titans & working alongside the Flash & the Green Arrow made Richard smile. "You know," Richard started, "that'd be pretty cool, actually." Richard let out a soft laugh. "I actually mentioned to Oliver that the League is always open to him if he wants to join. I guess I can vouch for you too," he said with a smirk.

Barry's face lit up at the offer. Richard smiled, then turned to leave the Cortex. As he left, he suddenly realized the irony in his statement. Offering a position for Barry to join the League while the League still made no contact with Richard or the rest of the Titans left a lot to be concerned about. Richard made his way through the hallway. He needed to find the League.


	26. Chapter 26: Justice

**Chpt. XXVI: Justice**

Richard drove up to the large vacant parking lot & swerved his car, skitting his vehicle into an abrupt stop. Richard held onto the steering wheel as his car jolted in place, & finally let go as the car stopped. He fiddled with his seat buckle before he could unclip it, then opened his door. As he stepped out, he slammed the door shut, then made his way around the vehicle. He took a moment to examine the area around him. The parking lot was completely empty. In fact, it didn't look like much of a parking lot to begin with. Richard reached into his pocket & removed his phone. It was 12:24 AM. Despite him rushing from Central City to D.C., it was a long drive. The fact that it was late at night would explain why the Hall of Justice museum parking lot was empty. It didn't explain why the Hall of Justice building had disappeared.

Richard stepped away from his car, making his way towards the area of the lot where the building used to stand. He remembered, years ago, when the building was still under construction. It was a cover for the zeta tubes inside the building that teleported from the Hall to the Watchtower satellite up in space, where the League's real base of operations was. However, what Richard was looking up at was...nothing. A vacant lot...with nothing. No Hall, no zeta tubes, no...no transportation to the Watchtower, or to the Justice League.

Richard let out a raging howl, slamming his palm against the trunk of his car. He knew the Hall's disappearance must've been an effect from Flashpoint, but Richard didn't think that the Hall would actually be gone. Richard suddenly felt his blood boil. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He needed to find the League. After the events that occurred with the Dominators, the League should be in D.C., up in there Watchtower. Richard let out a frustrated sigh. He needed Barry Allen to fix this.

Richard shook his head. He had just had a long conversation with the Flash about the effects of Flashpoint, & about accepting the consequences. Richard glanced up at the empty lot. Did Richard have to accept the consequences of Barry's actions too?

Richard reached for his cell phone, ready to call Alfred. He dialed the butler's number, then waited as the cell phone rang. The phone continued to ring…& ring...but finally, the call went to voicemail. Richard cursed to himself. He dialed Bruce's number next, hoping the Batman himself would answer Richard's calls. After several dial tones, Richard sighed in defeat. The call had gone to voicemail as well.

Richard walked to the driver seat of his car & opened the door. He climbed inside & shut the door. Richard rubbed his face hard, then leaned forward against the steering wheel. Richard bit his lip, wondering what to do next. He glanced around the car, hoping an idea would make its way to him when he suddenly caught sight of the glove compartment. Suddenly, a theory formulated in Richard's head.

Richard reached over to the glove compartment, opened it, then reached inside. He felt his fingers grasp around a small metallic tablet. He pulled the tablet out of the glove compartment & examined it. The tablet was one that Richard would occasionally use while on undercover stakeouts for the Batman. Richard would use the tablet to upload data such as images, audio recordings, & other digital files to the Batcave. If his idea worked...then the Batcave would be able to be accessed remotely with the tablet.

Richard proceeded to turn on the device & began recalibrating the device's software to be able to decrypt the Batcave's system. He then used the override hack that Richard had developed to allow him to break through the Batcave's firewall without causing a failsafe to be activated. Once the firewall was broken through, Richard was given a full duplicated copy of the Batcave's archives. Richard had the Batcave's systems, all in the palm of his hands.

On the tablet screen, Richard saw dozens of tabs, each containing files pertaining to different cases. Richard saw Bruce's files from the GCPD, some from the CIA, some from the FBI, & one from Interpol. Richard nodded. These were the proper tabs that Bruce had kept as Batman. Richard wondered how many of the cases had been cleared & solved. Richard's eyes trailed over to a tab under the title "Justice League Initiative". Richard sighed in relief. He had found what he was looking for.

Richard tapped on the tab to reveal the contents, but was shocked at what he found. Richard recalled when he first discovered the Batcave, & when he came across the Justice League files. He remembered seeing files on Barry Allen, Arthur Curry, Hal Jordan, & William Batson. However, none of those files existed. The only ones that existed were two folders. One was titled "Superman" while the other was titled "Wonder Woman". Richard arched his eyebrow in confusion. Where had the rest of the League's files gone? Did Bruce delete them?

Richard tapped on the Wonder Woman folder, only to find one file. The file was a mere digital photograph of Diana, captured from a distance as she walked among civilians in a heavy crowd. She wore a large sunhat & a heavy coat over some business attire, revealing collars underneath the coat. The photo might have been taken during the winter. Aside from that, Richard couldn't deduce much else from the photo.

Richard exited the folder & tapped on the Superman folder, well aware of what to expect. He remembered seeing documents from Area 51 & the Air Force, each revealing statements about the space pod that the Kryptonian had arrived to Earth on. Richard remembered seeing articles depicting Superman's courageous feats, & video footage of his service to Metropolis. However, all Richard saw now was...a digital map of the world. It was just Earth, with one small marker placed up near the Arctic Circle. There was nothing else indicated on the map. What the hell did the North Pole have to do with Superman?

Richard tossed the tablet off onto the passenger seat & groaned. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. The Hall of Justice was now gone, along with the Watchtower, & the rest of the Justice League. No records showed their existence, aside from a mere photo of Diana Prince & a map that probably had nothing to do with Clark Kent. Had Flashpoint changed more than before? Did the effects of Flashpoint alter the League's history, even after the first changes three months ago? Or did the changes have something to do with the invasion? Did the Dominators do something to the League?

Richard felt his fists clenched. The League must've gone up against the Dominators. Kaldur'ahm said that his king had gone to the surface world. It must've been about the Dominators. Richard recalled Alfred telling him that Bruce had gone away on a League mission the day that the Dominators came to Central City. Richard was almost certain that the Dominators did something. It must've been them. There's nothing else that could explain the League's disappearance. But...it didn't explain Bruce removing the League's files.

Richard felt his lips tremble. He wrapped his fingers over the steering wheel tight as he shuddered. He felt his face grow numb, along with the tips of his fingers. Anxiety washed over Richard as dark thoughts crept into his mind, confirming the doubts that Richard was afraid to acknowledge. He a few deep breaths, but released shuddered breaths. He turned on ignition, then drove out of the empty parking lot, making his way down to Gotham City.


	27. Chapter 27: Constant

**Chpt. XXVII: Constant**

Richard parked the car in front of the gates of Wayne Manor & stepped out of the car, looking up at the mansion's majestic architecture. He couldn't remember the last time he set foot on the Wayne Manor property. It must have been years since Richard was last there. There had been times when Richard was back in Gotham, but he had only visited Tim during those times, picking him up from the Manor when necessary. He would show up to Wayne Enterprises on business with Bruce, but those were friendly visits. Despite all of that, Richard wanted this one last moment at Wayne Manor to be like old times, back before Richard even put on the Robin suit. A gnawing feeling in the back of Richard's head told him that it wouldn't be like old times.

Richard walked around his vehicle & walked through the Wayne Manor gates. He made his way through the large courtyard, taking in the familiar scenery of the large, majestic stone statues placed around the shrubbery in the garden. Richard almost forgot that there were statues in the courtyard. Were they always there? No, they were probably new. Bruce probably had them made after Richard left. Right? He wasn't sure anymore. Richard sighed as he looked up at the statue to his right. He saw a god with a lightning bolt in his hand. Richard smiled at the Zeus figure, then cast his eyes to the statue to the left of Zeus. Richard looked up at the other god holding a double pronged spear. Richard frowned at the Hades statue, feeling as though it was looking down at Richard in shame.

Richard made his way up the front steps of Wayne Manor, walking up towards the front doors. He was about to knock heavily when he saw that the doors had been cracked open. Richard cursed to himself, shoving the doors open. He scanned the front foyer, searching for any signs of trouble in the house. He considered calling out to Alfred or Tim, but didn't want to cause alarm to anyone who may be in the house, or alert any intruders to his presence. Richard made his way up the stairwell, leading up to the second floor. Richard needed to find Bruce. That was the main reason he came back. He needed to find how what happened to the Batman & the rest of the League after the invasion. He needed to get to the Batcave.

Richard made it to the second floor, then turned towards the right. He made his way towards the end of the hall, then turned to a door on his left. He felt like it was the door to Bruce's study, but it had honestly been so long. He hardly remembered the layout of the mansion. Richard took a deep breath before reaching for the doorknob. He wasn't sure if he was afraid of opening the door to find Bruce, or if he was afraid that he wouldn't. Richard felt a soft chuckle escape his lips. It was so long ago when he was just as terrified to enter Bruce's study, soon after finding out Bruce was the Batman. That same fear crept back into Richard after all these years. He felt as though he was coming full circle in a sense.

Finally, Richard mustered up the courage to turn the doorknob & open the door to Bruce's study. Richard stepped in & exhaled, not realizing that he had been holding his breath. He looked up to find the study empty. The walls were all lined up with books upon their shelves. The room was dimly lit, as though someone had entered recently. Richard stepped in further to examine the room, until he noticed the bookshelf at the back of the room. It was pulled off from the wall slightly, revealing the corridor leading down the caverns under Wayne Manor. Richard sighed. Bruce was in the Batcave.

Richard walked past the desk, stepping up towards the shelf, & pushed it aside. He made room for himself to squeeze through the passage, then began stepping through the dark, quiet caverns. His footsteps echoed through the caves as he walked deeper & deeper into the Batcave. He remembered first discovering the Batcave below. Richard was beyond shocked at the revelation. There was a wave of confusion, then as he walked through the cave, the pieces came together, & Richard knew then that Bruce Wayne was the Batman. He ran for his life & escaped the Batcave in the Batmobile. Richard was tracked down by the Bat, frightened for his life, horrified by brutal nature of the Bat, but eventually, his fear washed away. He realized that the Bat was Bruce, & that he was only a man. It brought him a sense of comfort when Bruce finally explained his story to Richard.

Richard walked down the steps, leading into the large vast opening of the Batcave. Richard made his way across the platform, passing the Batmobile. Richard bit his lip as he examined the vehicle that he had driven dozens of times. He examined the damaged metal plating on the vehicle. The tank-like design seemed almost impenetrable, but now, Richard could see the damage done to the Batmobile. It was vulnerable, just like everything else. Richard felt himself shudder. The vehicle had gone through some real battles to come out looking as it did now.

Richard turned towards the Batcomputer, looming over the rest of the cave. Its bright screen shined brightly down over three people standing by its console. Over towards the left was Alfred. He wore his black vest over his white button up shirt, & dark slacks. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, with a distinctive frown over his face. Next to Alfred was Tim. He was wearing a black t-shirt & jogger sweats, as though he was just waking up from a slumber. His hair was messy, & his eyes were drained. Richard couldn't help but wonder if the boy was able to sleep at all since joining Richard's fight against the Dominators. Richard recalled his first night sleeping under the Wayne Manor roof. He had nightmares of his time in the Underground with Nolan, keeping him up at night. Richard felt as though Tim was undergoing the same fate, unable to sleep due to haunting nightmares.

Richard turned his gaze towards the right, glancing at a man standing before Alfred & Tim. The man wore a bright blue button up shirt & a neck tie with khaki pants. Richard traced his eyes up & down the man's body. He was tall, around 6'0", & heavily built. He had dark black hair, a chiseled jawline, & dark bushy eyebrows. He wore thick framed glasses over his eyes, &...a single curl across his forehead. Something about the man struck Richard as familiar, but, he wasn't entirely sure.

Suddenly, the man turned to Richard & smiled. "Dick," he called out.

Richard's eyes fluttered wide opened as Alfred & Tim suddenly turned to Richard. "Who...who is this?" Richard asked, gesturing to the man as he made his way towards Alfred & Tim.

"Dick…" Tim said softly as Richard approached him.

Richard should his head. "Where is Bruce?" he asked. "Where is he, & who is this?"

Alfred walked up to Richard & rested a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Master Grayson...please, have a seat."

Richard eyed Alfred, then slowly dropped his gaze down to Tim, who nodded in agreement. Richard turned & bit his lip as he approached the large chair that Bruce sat in when working at the console & sat in the seat. Richard slowly brought his gaze up to the man, whose smile had slowly began to fade away. Richard felt his hands grow numb, along with the same numbing sensation rising up to his cheeks. "Who...are you?" he asked.

The man cleared his throat. "My name is Clark Kent, Dick."

Richard felt his heart skip a beat. "No," he muttered. "No, you're...you're not. I know Clark. I know him. You're not-"

"From this Earth," the man said, interrupting Richard. He shrugged. "Well, I'm not from any Earth, but, I'm not from this version of Earth." Richard suddenly felt the pieces coming together. Before Richard could theorize any further, the man continued. "I'm sure you've heard of the Multiverse, right?" Richard nodded. The man spoke again. "I...I'm from Earth-38 of this 'Multiverse' that scientists have studied & observed. Where I come from, I'm Superman."

Richard turned to Alfred & Tim. "What, you two just believed him?"

Alfred nodded. "Sir, we ran a DNA sample on him. This DNA readings were that of a Kryptonian's DNA sample. They were that of our very own Clark Kent's, to be precise."

Richard stared at Alfred, shocked at the confirmation. His gaze traced over towards Tim, who nodded. "Just...listen, Dick."

Richard nodded, running a hand through his hair, then turned to the man. Clark sighed, leaning against the computer console. "A few days ago, there was a series of dimensional breaches on my Earth. As it turns out, it was a friend of my cousin, Kara Zor-El. This friend had traveled across dimensions to ask for her help with an invasion of aliens on this Earth."

Richard nodded. "Barry Allen," he muttered.

Clark eyed Richard for a moment, surprised at how much he already knew. "Yeah," he said. "Barry Allen asked for Kara's help. When he did so, I got word of the Dominators invading, & I immediately searched for transportation to this Earth. I figured that if some superhero from this Earth was traveling to another Earth to ask for a Kryptonian's help, then something must've happened to the Superman on this Earth, & the rest of the Justice League."

Richard nodded. As Clark spoke, more & more of what he said was beginning to add up to what Richard already knew. The other Kryptonian that the Titans encountered when the Flash showed up in Gotham must've been Clark's cousin, the...Supergirl. The pieces were coming together. Clark sighed, then continued. "I had the DEO back on my Earth transport me here through a breach. When I arrived, I landed in Coast City. I was spotted all over the city, & when people approached me, they asked who I was, & if I was going to save them from the aliens. It...it was strange, being in a place where nobody knew me. Part of it was a relief, but...part of it made me doubt myself."

Richard arched his eyebrow at Clark. "Doubt yourself?"

Clark nodded, stepping closer to Richard. "For me, my strength doesn't come from a yellow sun. It comes from the faith that people have in me. Their faith in me pushes me, makes me more than positive that I can handle any threat. But...the Superman on this Earth was gone. Nobody had a Superman to look up to. Or, at least, if they did, they didn't remember him anymore." Clark looked down at the ground, shutting his eyes tight. "It made it tougher for me to believe in myself as Superman."

Richard leaned forward in the seat, closer to Clark. "So what did you do, then?"

Clark looked up at Richard. "I went after the Dominator's Mothership," he said. "I just...flew up. It wasn't hard to find it. It was just up there, orbiting around Earth. If the Justice League was anywhere during the invasion, they would've been there." Clark bit his lip, then looked away. "Maybe that's where it went wrong," he said softly. "Going in blind, with no plan of action, it...it wasn't the right call to make for this kind of crisis."

Richard's eyes widened. He turned to Tim & Alfred behind him, who were both gazing at the broken Kryptonian. Richard turned back to Clark. "What happened, Clark?" Richard asked, his voice trembling.

Clark scoffed. "I...I got on board the ship. I searched the corridors for the League. I was searching for heat signatures through the walls, & eventually, I found Hal."

"Hal?" Richard gasped. "Hal Jordan? The, uh…"

"Green Lantern," Clark finished. "Yeah, him. The Dominators kidnapped him, along with the rest of the League, & began experimenting on them. Apparently they were interested in eradicating metahumans. As it turns out, Hal's gifts came solely from the ring, so he was rendered useless in their experiments."

Richard's eyes shot open with hope. "So, Bruce…"

Clark stared down at Richard with a solemn frown. "He...apparently escaped capture, according to Hal. But once he did, the Dominators went after him. I...I don't know if he ever made it off that ship."

Richard released a shuddered breath, holding back the tears. Clark continued. "I broke Hal out of confinement & searched for everyone else. Bruce, J'onn, Diana, Arthur, the other Clark, but...I couldn't find anybody. I stopped searching when the Mothership went into lockdown. Something went wrong, & alarms were set. The Dominators were suddenly preparing to leave. I was prepared to take Hal with me, but we were ambushed by the Dominators. Hal died in the firefight. I fended the Dominators off, but once I escaped the ship...the ship left Earth's orbit."

Richard stared at Clark. He could feel the tears well up in his eyes. He felt his chest tighten as he held his breath, holding in the sobs. His fingers grew numb, sending a tingling sensation up to his cheeks. The League...was gone? Did they ever make it off the ship? Did Bruce ever make it off? What the hell happened up on that Mothership after Richard escaped with Rachel & Roy?

Richard rubbed his face with his hands, letting the tears drip from his cheeks, down his hands. He leaned forward, resting his head close to his knees. His back rose & fell with the heavy sobs of his tears. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want it to be true, but the fact of it was that Bruce was most likely dead. That's what Clark was trying to say. Bruce, & Superman, & the rest of the Justice League was most likely dead. If they weren't, they were most certainly not on Earth. With the Dominator Mothership already out of orbit, & the rest of the Dominators having left Earth, there was virtually no way of tracking down the ship. All hope was lost. Bruce was gone.

Clark cleared his throat. "Bruce...had a contingency plan at play," he said. Richard looked up at Clark & sniffled. Clark walked over to Richard & kneeled down in front of him. His face was calm & friendly. Despite not being the Clark that Richard knew, he felt quite comfortable around him. There was...a familiarity in the man. "Bruce knew that there would be a day that he might not return back home. He was prepared for that day. In fact...he was preparing for that day ever since he adopted you, Dick."

Richard's eyes widened. "Wh...what?" he gasped.

Suddenly, Alfred stepped in. "Sir, what contingency plan are you referring to?" he asked. "I haven't heard of this."

Tim stepped forward, raising his hand. "Also, um, I don't wanna be mean, but...you didn't know Bruce. At least, our Bruce. How do you know he had this…'contingency plan?'"

Clark sighed. "If your Bruce was anything like my Bruce, then he would've set this up." With that, Clark stood up from in front of Richard, then walked over to the Batcomputer. He stood in front of the console, then began typing away at the console. He glanced up at the screen, which showed a large digital design of what looked like the Batsuit. It was relatively the same suit, except it was sleeker in design, & less bulking in armor. Suddenly, the computer beeped, then echoed a loud voice. " _Initiating: Rising Robin Protocol."_

Suddenly, in front of the seat where Richard was sitting in, a loud humming was heard beneath the cold metal service. Richard leaned forward to inspect the platform when suddenly, the metal platform opened up, revealing a square opening. A metallic box, roughly 6 ft. tall & 3 ft. wide, rose up from the opening in the platform. Richard stood up & gazed up at it. There was a small indention on the right side of the metal box. In the indention was a handprint scanner.

Richard felt Clark step up beside Richard. He turned to Clark, who nodded softly. Richard turned back to the box, then stepped towards it. He looked up at the handprint, then bit his lip. He glanced back nervously at Tim & Alfred, who both nodded at Richard. Richard sighed, then turned back to the metallic box. He brought his hand up to the scanner & pressed his hand against the cool, metallic surface. Suddenly, the metallic box opened up, revealing a tall, dark being. It was a black armor with small groovings within the chest plate & the rest of the armor on the arms & legs. The top of the armor revealed a dark cowl with large ears, almost horn-liked. It was terrifying, &...familiar. It reminded Richard of the first time he saw the Bat, before he knew who he was. Now, it was just a lifeless, empty shell.

Richard turned to Clark, who nodded back at Richard. "He left this for you. The Bruce back on my Earth had this set up, & the Bruce here did as well. No matter which part of the Multiverse you're in, no matter what happened between you & your Bruce, you were always the one he trusted the most. You were the one he sought to carry on his legacy."

Richard stared at the Batsuit, feeling his chest beat heavily. He wasn't sure what to do. After all that had happened between him & Bruce, all of the darkness that Richard saw within him, & that anger that consumed them both, Richard thought that leaving Bruce was the safest, healthiest solution for him. Now that Bruce was gone, leaving the Batsuit for Richard, he couldn't help but wonder if...him leaving caused this. Maybe if Richard stuck around for Bruce, maybe if he managed to patch things up between them two, maybe...Bruce wouldn't be gone. Maybe Bruce would've come back...for Richard. With Richard having left Gotham, maybe it left Bruce vulnerable. Maybe it caused Bruce to become more reckless, & with that recklessness, came a certain preparedness. The contingency plan was meant to keep Gotham safe, in case Bruce ever went too far one day. And he did. He finally did. He went too far for the sake of the mission. Richard felt himself scoff a soft laugh. He hadn't realized how much like Bruce he was.

But was Richard ready to take on the mantle of the Bat? Was he able to become as ruthless & dedicated to the life of crime fighting as Bruce was? Was he even worthy of the suit? Richard bit his lip, shaking his head to himself. He didn't want to become THE Batman. Not after all of the hard decisions Richard watched Bruce make as the Bat. Not after all of the lives lost in Bruce's crusade. Not after the mistakes Richard made with the Titans, following after Bruce's ways.

Clark placed a soft hand on Richard's shoulder. "You know, Dick...you remind me a lot of the Dick Grayson back on my Earth." Richard turned to Clark, who smiled softly. "I know that, technically, you ARE Dick Grayson, but, with this alternate universe thing, there are definitely some differences between our Earths. But you, Dick, you're the one thing that isn't different. You're a smart kid. I know it. You're a caring person, just like the Dick I knew." Clark laughed softly. "I don't need to have spent years getting to know you to know exactly what kind of person you are."

Richard sighed. "What kind of person am I?"

Clark took a deep breath. "Loyal, Dick. You're a loyal man. Loyal to those you love & care about. You're strong, incredibly strong. You're one of the most smart, intelligent men I've ever met, & you're the happiest, Dick. You're so happy with how your life has been."

Richard eyed Clark for a moment, letting the words sink into his head. Was any of that truly how Richard appeared to other people? After all that had happened, Richard felt as though he had lost himself along the way.

Clark sighed. "You're also human," he said. "Obviously. But, in a sense that you're flawed. You make mistakes. You make mistakes, just like me, & Bruce, & just about everybody else that you wouldn't expect to make mistakes, & that scares you. You're afraid of messing up, Dick, & that's okay. That's life. With these mistakes, we learn from them, & we adapt. We grow to become better people than we ever thought we could become."

Richard was silent for a few moments. The caves echoed with pure silence, when finally, Richard spoke. "To...become better...I have to become the Batman?"

Clark shook his head. "You're not becoming the Batman to become better. You're making the Batman better by becoming him."

Richard let out a soft laugh. "You know," he started, "years ago, Clark told me that I didn't need to be like the Batman. He said I could become my own man."

Clark nodded. "That's when I gave Dick the idea to become Nightwing," he said. "I told him the story of Van-Zee on Krypton." Clark scoffed. "That crazy kid literally leaped out of my window with excitement after that."

Richard smiled up at Clark, surprised at the fact that this version of Clark had the same conversation with his Earth's Dick Grayson that Richard had with his Clark Kent. It was unreal, the parallels that ran between the two's experiences. Clark smiled. "I'm telling you. Dick Grayson, the constant of the Multiverse."

Richard's eyes lit up at the words. _Constant._ It's what the Dominators referred to him as back on the Mothership. The cosmic influence was real. There really was something extraordinary with him. Richard turned to Clark. "The version of me on your Earth...did he have to make this decision too?"

Clark nodded. "Yeah, he did."

Richard turned back to the Batsuit looming over him. "What did your Grayson do?"

Clark shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Dick," he said. "'Constant of the Multiverse.' You'll make the right choice, sooner or later."

Richard nodded, staring back up at the Batsuit. He felt Clark step away from his presence. Richard didn't watch him leave the Batcave, but heard his footsteps echo in the cave, until they eventually faded out into the darkness that surrounded the cave. Eventually, Tim left as well, then Alfred, leaving Richard alone with the Bat standing before him. Richard didn't make a move towards the suit. He stood in front of the suit, not considering whether or not he would uphold the mantle of the Bat. He stood there, looking up at the Bat, hoping that if he wished hard enough, Bruce would be standing inside of the suit.


	28. Chapter 28: Destiny

**Chpt. XXVIII: Destiny**

Richard stood outside of the apartment & stared at the front door. His palms were sweaty & his fingers were slightly trembling. He knew he needed to get a grip on his anxiety, but there were moments when he just couldn't calm himself. He only knew of one person that ever calmed his nerves, but he wasn't sure if he should see her. After all that had happened, it probably wasn't the best time to talk to her. Richard sighed, glancing down both ends of the hall. He could leave before anyone knew he stopped by Barbara's home.

Richard was about to turn from the front door to leave when he heard the door crack open. Richard glanced back to find Barbara peeking from around the edge of the door. "Dick?" she said softly. "What...what are you doing here?"

Richard bit his lip. "I...was in the neighborhood."

Barbara arched her eyebrow at Richard. "Dick, I heard you pace back & forth outside my door for, like, fifteen minutes now," she said. "Is everything alright?"

Richard stared down at Barbara, whose large blue eyes gazed up at Richard with a sort of concern, but yet, a sense of hostility as well. Part of Richard knew that Barbara didn't want to see him, but...so much had happened in that week. Richard needed a familiar face. He needed Barbara. "Can I come in?"

Barbara eyed Richard for a moment, then sighed. "Of course," she said. She wheeled herself away from the doorway, allowing Richard to walk inside. "I'm sorry. I should've let you in as soon as I heard you."

Richard shrugged off the remark, then glanced around the apartment as Barbara shut the front door. It had been a long time since he had been in Barbara's apartment. Everything was neat & organized, almost to the point of borderline OCD. Richard was never really bothered by it when they were together. Barbara was always like that; meticulous in certain aspects of her life, & very punctual. She was a smart girl, raised by a good man, & she never stooped below pure efficiency. She was the best in school. She even offered to tutor Richard when she first met him. Her intelligence was something that made Barbara stand out to him.

Richard reached for a framed photograph hanging on her wall near the living room. It was a photograph of her father & her mother on their wedding day. Richard could help but think back to his short-lived marriage with Barbara in the alternate reality. "I like this picture," he said.

Barbara rolled beside Richard & glanced at him, then up at the photograph. "Yeah, my dad wanted me to keep something to remember her by. I decided to take the one photo that would let me remember them both." Barbara sighed. "After what happened to me, I realized that he's being put in the same risk every night, stopping crime in Gotham. The only difference is he's got the boys in blue behind his back."

Richard nodded, agreeing with what she was saying. The both of them knew the dangers of doing what they do first hand. It was just as Harper had told Richard. They may not get out of the game alive.

Barbara sighed with a smile, continuing to photograph. "That photo isn't just a reminder, though. It's...also a goal for me."

Richard laughed softly. "A goal?" he said. "What, for you on YOUR wedding day?"

Barbara eyed Richard for a moment, shrugging. "Is that so crazy?" she said. "I mean...it'd suck to not walk down the aisle, but, hell, I'd get to roll down to the altar looking fine as hell." Richard bursted out into a stifled laugh. Barbara scoffed at this outburst, then crossed her arms over her chest. "What's so funny about that, Grayson?"

Richard shook his head, finally calming down. "I'm sorry, that came off more rude than I meant." Richard let out a deep breath, laughing softly for a moment, then turned to Barbara. "It's just that...your dad's mustache is NOT goals."

Barbara glared at Richard, then turned back up to the photograph, then snickered to herself. "Oh my gosh, you're right, his mustache was awful."

"God awful," Richard said. "A complete travesty." The two laughed for a few moments, then Richard broke into the laughter. "Your dad rocks it now, though."

Barbara smiled. "Yeah, Dick, keep smooth talking your way into dear old dad's heart. He's always gonna have a soft spot for you."

Richard bit his lip at the remark. Despite her casually playing off his relationship with Gordon, Richard knew that things were still tense between the two because of Barbara's chair. In fact, Barbara knew that just as well as anyone else. However, seeing as it had been a few years since the incident, perhaps Gordon was starting to put the blame aside. Richard would need to reach out to Jim soon.

Barbara cleared her throat, then gestured to her living room. "Make yourself at home. I'll get you something to drink."

Richard smiled. "Sure," he said. He walked over to the couch & sat down in front of the coffee table. He noticed the way the living room was set up; one long couch facing the table & the balcony, with two recliners on either side, & a large open space between the couch & the balcony. Richard glanced over at Barbara, who had wheeled into the kitchen. He surveyed the rest of the apartment, noticing large open spaces between everything. Barbara was able to move around well enough in the apartment. He smiled. He was glad she managed alright so far.

"Water?" Barbara called from the kitchen.

Richard scratched his head nervously. "I, uh...was actually hoping you might have something...strong."

Despite not being able to hear or see Barbara from behind the kitchen wall, Richard could merely feel the sense of judgement coming from her. Richard rubbed his face with his hands as Barbara wheel back into the living room. She had two glasses in her lap. She wheeled passed the couch, to a small shelf she had next to her bedroom door. She reached up for a glass bottle & set it down on her lap. She wheeled back around the couch, making her way towards the open space in front of the coffee table. She set her glass down on the table, then opened the glass bottle. She poured the dark liquor into her glass, then poured it into the other glass. She handed the second glass to Richard. Barbara smiled softly at Richard. "It's the good stuff."

Richard arched his eyebrow at the redhead, then brought the glass up to his lips, drinking the liquor. The warm liquid coursed over his tongue, sending a burning sensation down his throat, into his chest. He knew the feeling too well, having shared drinks with his father back in the circus, & sharing drinks with Bruce, of course. The burn in the chest was always something Richard looked forward to. It was like a reminder to him that he was still alive.

Barbara cleared her throat after taking a sip from her glass. "I know you didn't come all the way out here to share a drink with me."

Richard smirked at Barbara. "Maybe I did."

Barbara rolled her eyes at this, then shook her head. "Dick...Tim called." At this, Richard's heart skipped a beat. What did the young boy tell Barbara? "Tim said that you would be coming to see me soon. He said something happened at Wayne Manor." Barbara leaned close, looking Richard right into his eyes. "Dick, what happened up there?"

Richard bit his lip, breaking away from Barbara's gaze. He couldn't bear to look her in the eye as he felt tears well up in his own. He stared down into his glass instead, seeing his own broken reflection in the dark liquor. "I didn't want to be totally sober when we brought him up again."

"Who, Tim?" Barbara asked.

Richard shook his head. "Bruce. I mean Bruce." Richard watched as Barbara's eyes widened at the sound of the billionaire's name. "You've been wondering where he's been, right? You, along with Alfred, & Tim & I, have been scared out of our minds during this crisis, wondering where Bruce went during all of this."

Barbara shook her head. "He was working on this, wasn't he?" she said. "The invasion, these aliens, wasn't he there?"

Richard scoffed. "Babs, you were here when the Dominators showed up! They were storming down your streets while everyone evacuated the city, & the Batman wasn't in sight." Richard shook his head, feeling his voice break. "No, I was here. Me & the Titans were here." Richard bit his lip, looking up at Barbara. "Babs...Bruce is gone."

Barbara stared at Richard, waiting for him to say something. Perhaps she was waiting on him to smile & crack a joke. Perhaps she was waiting on him to smirk & say something cool & calming, brushing off the sudden serious devastating news. Instead, he just stared back, lips trembling as the tears welled up in his eyes began to drip. Suddenly, Barbara wheeled herself away from the coffee table, making her way around the recliner, over to Richard's side. She hoisted herself off of her seat, to Richard's surprised, & managed to place herself onto the couch next to Richard. Her limp legs hung over the edge of the couch lifelessly. Barbara turned to Richard, her eyes even closer to his now. She placed her hand over Richard's on his lap, her touch soft against his. "Dick," she breathed, "what...what do you mean, 'gone?'"

Richard sighed, shaking his head. "I'm...not sure. I think he's gone." Richard took one more sip from his glass, then set it down. He rubbed his face with his hands for a moment, then exhaled, releasing a deep, warm breath. "According to Clark Kent...or, at least, a version of him, Bruce & the rest of the Justice League were aboard the Mothership."

Barbara shook her head. "I'm...sorry, did you say 'a version' of Clark?" she asked. "What...what does that mean?"

"A parallel Earth," Richard explained. "I dunno. It's something that's got to do with this thing called the multiverse. It's...it's not important right now." Richard ran a hand through his hair, feeling his chest burn as his heartbeat began to grow rapid. "He's gone, though. He was on that ship, & as far as I know, nobody else made it off of that ship. The Dominators were experimenting on the metahumans in the League, but those that were human, like Bruce, they killed them. Bruce...either fought his way for a while, or they killed him as soon as they caught him."

Barbara shook her head. "I don't understand. How-"

"It was Clark," Richard said. "Superman. Or, I dunno, Superman from another dimension. He travelled here to help fight off the Dominators, but, he was overwhelmed when he tried saving the League. He's not sure Bruce made it."

Barbara scoffed. "Dick, I'm not going to lie, this sounds like a load of bull," she said. "You're saying Superman from an alternate reality told you all of this? What makes you so sure he was even telling the truth? How do you know he was even really Superman?"

Richard turned to Barbara, seeing her blue eyes almost glare at Richard. She didn't want to believe it anymore than Richard did, but...what was the point of holding onto hope? "Alfred ran a DNA scan. He's...he's who he said he was."

Barbara's eyes were beginning to fill with tears under her glasses. Her lips trembled as she continued to frown at Richard. "Wouldn't Alfred be able to track down the Batsuit? I mean, Bruce installed trackers on all of our suits. I know he put one on himself too, right?"

Richard shook his head. "Barbara, I'm sure that's what Al has been doing ever since Bruce left with the rest of the League."

Barbara's eyes widened. "The League," she said. "You can track the League from the Watchtower's database."

Richard shrugged. "The Watchtower, the Hall, it's all gone."

Barbara stared at Richard, arching her eyebrow. "Gone?"

Richard nodded. "Just...gone. The Hall of Justice is gone, like it never existed. I thought it was destroyed or something, but, then I tapped into the Batcomputer's system & tried to see if I could track the League from there. The Justice League files were gone, Babs. They virtually doesn't exist anymore."

Barbara's eyes finally glanced away from Richard. She stared down into space as her fingers began to tremble softly. Her legs still hung over the couch edge, but her arms twitched over her thighs. It had happened a few times since the accident, & it was nothing alarming, but at a moment like this, Richard couldn't help but feel nervous. Barbara finally turned back to Richard. "He's gone?" she asked as her voice broke, fighting tears.

Richard sighed & nodded solemnly. "Y...yes."

Barbara's eyes were welling up. She removed her glasses, but they slipped from her trembling fingers, falling between her legs onto the ground. Barbara looked down at the glasses, & finally, tears fell from her eyes. "This wasn't supposed to happen," she said.

Richard looked up at Barbara. She sighed, rubbing her face with her hands, then shook her head. "Bruce was the Batman. THE Batman. He was always prepared. He was always on guard, always taking point on every mission. He...taught you & me to be better than that." Barbara turned to Richard. Tears were now streaming down her cheeks. "Dick, he trained us for hours every day of our childhood to prepare us for whatever might come. He was broken, & he broke us too, but dammit, he knew what he was doing. We grew, & we were better for it, but only because HE taught us to be like that. He taught us to be strong, & to be smart, & to keep getting up when we were brought down..." Barbara's voice trailed off as she began to gaze into nothingness. Richard reached for her hand, bringing her back reality. "How could he have lost?"

Richard shook his head. She was right about it all. The Batman stood for many things, but aside all of the fear that the name evoked in the criminals of Gotham, he was a hero that still fought for the people. He was a protector of citizens. Now the world was an entire hero short. In fact...it was a few heroes short, now that the League was gone as well. But Gotham had lost its Dark Knight. Richard had lost a father.

Barbara sighed. "You know...it's crazy," she started. "I wasn't religious growing up. Going to an all-girl elementary school didn't do it for me. It wasn't my mom dying that made me believe in God. It wasn't even me putting on the mask & getting shot. It...it was everything after that." Barbara turned to Richard, staring back into his eyes. "I would pray before going to bed every night. I didn't pray for my father. I didn't pray for my mother. I never prayed for myself to heal. I never even prayed for Gotham to get better. I only prayed that I'd see you again. You, Bruce, Tim, & Jason. I prayed to see all of you...my boys. I prayed every night that we would all be together again one day. It...it's all really want anymore. After all that's happened, it's all I could want." Barbara shook her head. "Now he's gone, & I just...don't think it's ever going to happen."

Richard bit his lip, rubbing his hands together nervously. He knew he had to tell Barbara what had happened. It was important that she knew. However, he knew he couldn't tell many others. If criminals found out that the Batman was dead, they would begin to wreak havoc in Gotham & take advantage of the missing League. He would have to keep the Bat's death a secret from the public. People would notice, though. People would realize that Gotham is missing a Dark Knight, & that nobody was watching over them. Somebody had to uphold the mantle & carry on the duty as the Batman.

Richard turned to Barbara. "There's something else," he said softly.

Barbara scoffed. "Who else is dead?" she asked.

Richard shook his head. "No, it's not that." Richard reached for his glass to take one last sip before finishing his liquor. He swallowed the burning drink, then spoke. "Clark showed me something that Bruce hadn't showed anybody. It was...his contingency plan." Richard shut his eyes, seeing the Batsuit in his head. "Bruce had designed something for me to use in case he ever vanished or died. Apparently Clark was the only one who knew about it, & Bruce entrusted Clark with the protocol data. He...he wanted me to become the Batman."

Richard felt Barbara's eyes staring at him. Her hand reached over to Richard's arm, providing a comforting touch. Richard's sighed, then looked down at Barbara. "Part of me still hates him. I know, it's dumb, & it's petty, but it's true. Part of me despises him. It isn't because of the intense training we endured to be taken underneath his wing. It's all of the pain he put us through when the mask came off that broke me. It broke Jason…& sooner or later, it was going to break Tim. I hate him for that." Richard shook his head, rubbing his face with his eyes. "Part of me is just afraid, too. I'm afraid I won't be strong enough to be the Bat. I don't...I don't have the same mindset as him. That thing that drives the Bat to sacrifice everything for the sake of the mission, that ruthlessness, it's just...it's not me. I'm...not worthy of being the Bat."

For a moment, the two sat in silence next to one another. It wasn't until Barbara leaned closer to Richard that their silence broke. "Dick," she breathed, "why did you leave Gotham?"

Richard turned to Barbara & arched his eyebrow. He thought about the question. It had been so long since the day he fled to Metropolis to ask Clark for guidance. It was then that he decided to leave Gotham to become Nightwing, but...why did he leave in the first place? Richard cleared his throat. "Bruce was...was losing himself. After Jason, he began to fall into depression & alcoholism. That, &...everything that went wrong with the Titans, it...it drove me away."

Barbara shook her head with a faint smile. "Dick, you were searching for your own destiny," she said. Barbara reached for Richard's hand & squeezed it. "You said you wanted to get out of Gotham to become your own man, your own hero. You wanted to stand up for what YOU believed in, & leave behind all that the Bat taught you." Barbara brought a hand up, gesturing towards the window. "That's why you left Gotham. You became Nightwing, & you invoked a different kind of heroism into the city that you couldn't before. You chased that destiny all the way to Blüdhaven, & you didn't look back."

Barbara reached up to Richard's face & placed her hand on his cheek, turning him so he could face her. "Now, Richard Grayson, you can still be your own man," she said. "You can still make your own destiny, but it has to be YOUR decision. You can use your beliefs to change what the Bat represents, & become the new Batman...or you could let the Bat die." Richard felt his chest tighten at the words, but Barbara smiled, making the feeling go away. "It's not a bad thing, Dick. Some things have to die, &...that's okay. We've done our duty for our home, & we owe it to ourselves to let the Bat become a symbol for others to take upon themselves."

Richard let the words sink in, considering Barbara's suggestion. He could become the Batman, & save Gotham under his own terms. He could provide a new sense of hope, different than what the Dark Knight represented. He could become the guardian angel that Gotham deserved. If he didn't...the Bat's death could bring on a new revolution of vigilantes, saving Gotham in the name of the Bat. Richard could finally take a leave of absence from Gotham for good. He could finally become his own man, like he wanted.

Richard felt himself laugh softly. "You know," he started, "when I first left Gotham to become Nightwing...I almost wanted to give it up altogether." He turned to Barbara, who's big blue eyes stared up at him. "I wanted to become...normal again."

Barbara smiled softly. "Normal?"

"Yeah, normal." Richard sighed, rubbing his hands over his thighs. "I actually...saw a little bit of what that'd be like, up on the Dominator ship."

"You never explained what happened up there when they abducted you," Barbara said.

Richard shrugged. "They...probed me. They observed me & studied me, trying to see I was capable of enduring pain like metahumans or something."

Barbara gasped softly. "My gosh, Dick."

Richard nodded. "It was weird for a while...I was really scared. More scared than I had ever been, I think. But then it all went away, & I was in a valley watching the stars with you."

Barbara's eyes shot wide open. "Me?"

Richard nodded with a smirk. "Yes, you. We...we were married, I think."

Barbara stared at Richard & suddenly her lips grew into a frown. "Are you messing with me?"

Richard shook his head. "Why would I mess with you? No." Richard sighed, scratching his head. "It was this surreal fantasy that the Dominators projected onto my head, I think. The alternate reality is what kept me occupied while they were going through my subconscious or something." Richard bit his lip. "My mom & dad were alive, too."

Barbara's frown shifted into a solemn pout, & she bent her head low. Richard continued. "You had your legs, too. In this life, we were married, & you were working at GCPD with your father. I was working at Wayne Enterprises, but my father had gotten me the job. He was working with Jack's circus still, training young acrobats like me. We...we were happy, Barbara."

Barbara stared at Richard, lost for words. Richard turned to face Barbara. "I know it's crazy, but it's true. The dream got weird eventually, & an evil version of Robin tried to kill me, & he murdered my parents once I came to, but parts of the dream were still...good, you know? The life I had there, despite it not being real, was probably the best few few hours of my life." Richard bit his lip. "My friend, Harper, she was in this life, like me. She was a hacker helping on occasion, &...eventually, the life caught up with her. Her youngest brother's life was threatened, & she gave it all up to be normal." Richard turned back to Barbara with a faint smile. "She told me to get out of the game while I still could. I...I think part of me is completely ready to hang up the cape, Babs."

Once again, the two were left sitting in silence. The sirens of police cars wailed in the night outside of the window as Richard noticed Barbara's fingers tapping against her numb thighs. She sighed, then turned to Richard. "Dick, you know I'm with you, no matter what you decide to do, right?" Richard nodded with a smile. Barbara continued. "That being said...I just…"

Barbara's voice trailed off, causing Richard to lean close, hoping to hear her better. As he leaned closer, Barbara's eyes stared up at him, & the two stared at one another for a few moments. His eyes traced down her face, towards her lips. He leaned closer, feeling Barbara's thighs against his own. Maybe it was bourbon they had been drinking, or maybe it was something else that was driving them to this point. Something was bringing them together, closer, enough for their lips to finally connect once again. The two kissed, & Barbara's hands reached up to Richard's face as he wrapped his own arms around Barbara's waist. The two kissed as Barbara's hair fell over Richard's head, & he brought her body closer to his. After a few moments of passionate kissing, Barbara pulled away, gasping for air. "No," she breathed, out of breath. "No, we can't."

Richard eyed Barbara confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"Dick, please, no." This time, Barbara was fighting back tears as she spoke. Richard's eyes widened with worry as Barbara wiped her eyes with her hands, then reached down for her glasses. She grunted as she struggled to reach down towards the ground. She sat back up, releasing an exasperated cry, then laid her back against the couch, letting her tears stream back.

Richard got up from the couch & bent down on the ground, reaching for the glasses Barbara had dropped earlier. He stood back up & handed them to her. He noticed Barbara's hands pinching her thighs roughly, as though she wanted to inflict the most pain she could conjure up, but couldn't. Barbara's eyes opened slowly to find Richard holding her glasses. Barbara reached up slowly for the glasses, then brought them up to her eyes. She sighed once more, sobbing soft tears.

Richard bit his lip. "Babs, do...do you need help getting to bed?"

Barbara shook her head slowly, tears still falling from her eyes. "No, Dick," she said. "If I let you do this for me...I won't ever let you leave."

Richard stared down at Barbara, helpless & broken. He hated himself for letting her get this way. All he ever wanted was for Barbara to be alright & safe. He wanted to protect her. He felt that, out of all of the people he could be protecting in Gotham, he would rather turn his back on if it meant a life of taking care of Barbara. Now, when she needed it the most, she couldn't bare to let him. Richard hated himself for letting their relationship get to that point. He hated himself even more for letting himself walk out of that apartment without doing something, anything, to make it everything alright again.


	29. Chapter 29: Titans

**Chpt. XXIX: Titans**

Richard gripped the steering wheel of his car tightly, pushing his foot down hard against the gas pedal. He could feel the vibrations of the car as he sped across the highway, burning the rubber of his wheels. He turned the wheel hard, skidding to an abrupt turn & causing the car to leave dark marks across the ground. He readjusted his car's gear & shifted it, then pressed on the gas once more. He drove around the mountainside, speeding as his mind raced along with his car.

Earlier that morning, after Richard had arrived back to Blüdhaven from Barbara's apartment back in Gotham, he came home to his apartment, hoping to finally squeeze in a nap after the resolution of the Dominators' invasion. He was surprised to find a note left on his bed that only read " _find me - c"._ Richard panicked & began calling Cheyenne's cellphone. As it turns out, she had left her phone at the apartment. Richard panicked more, considering using the GPS software on his computer to somehow trace her through surveillance footage. The apartment building's security cameras showed Cheyenne leaving the building alone. It seemed strange. Why wouldn't she tell Richard where she was headed?

Richard had taken up a few leads during that morning, calling up the old foster family residence in hopes that she had paid them a visit in Gotham. As it turns out, the Fosters had moved out years ago, & their previous home was vacant. That didn't leave Richard with a lot of options. His next lead was Chinatown, the place where Rachel & Kori had grown up with Cheyenne after she left the orphanage. Richard returned to the place that he found her all those years ago, only to find the building still burnt down at the hands of John Constantine. Richard was lost, without a single lead, when he noticed something peculiar. The handwriting on the note that Cheyenne left was light, but the writing of the _c_ & _d_ were slightly darkened. Richard considered the meaning behind the letters, but then realized what they truly meant.

Richard glanced down at the note as he drove around the mountain in D.C., coming close towards the entrance of the caverns by the beach, where the Titans were hiding out for the duration of the invasion. It was strange that Cheyenne would come here, but if she was, it must've been for an important reason.

Richard slowed his car to a stop & shut off his ignition. He unbuckled his seatbelt & opened his car door, stepping out of the vehicle. He shut the door behind him, then began walking towards the caverns inside of the mountain. He bit his lip nervously, unsure of what he would find. Did someone discover what Cheyenne was? Did they discover her metahuman abilities, or tie her to the events back in Gotham during the invasion? Was the cave compromised? Richard shook the thoughts away, then continued to walk into the dark caverns.

Richard squinted as he noticed a light down the corridor. He sped up his pace, then brought his hands up to his mouth. "Cheyenne!" he calleed. "Are you here?"

Richard heard echoes of hisses & murmurs in response. He was nervous. He needed to be prepared. He flexed his arms, stretching his upper body. He felt his shoulders crack around his spine, anticipating any combatant he may encounter in the dark. He continued to move forward, towards the light, & he noticed the light was...the computer monitor. The computer was on. Somebody was in the database. He had to move fast.

Richard moved to sprint when suddenly lights came on all around the cavern, revealing several people around him in the cave. Richard instinctively brought his arms up to guard himself when he spotted Cheyenne across from him. Standing next to her was Rachel & Kori. Next to the two of them were Logan & Wally. Richard turned around to find Roy standing behind him, alongside Jaime & Conner. Richard turned back to find Evelyn & M'gann standing beside Kaldur'ahm & Zatanna. Each & every single one of them had a smile on their face.

"Gee, Dick," Logan called out to Richard. "You were ready to knock our asses out!"

Richard laughed nervously, dropping his arms to a relax stance. "Sorry about that."

Richard heard a bang come from behind the computer console. He turned to find Victor standing behind it suddenly, rubbing the top of his head. "Dammit," he grunted. He looked up to find Richard grinning over at him. He smiled. "Glad to you could make it, Boy Wonder."

Richard's mouth dropped open, then closed again. He stammered, looking for the right words to say, but nothing came out. He was baffled. He shook his head in disbelief, then shrugged. "Guys...what's going on?" Richard turned to face Cheyenne. "You had me worried."

Cheyenne smiled softly, bringing her hand up to her ear. She tucked a red lock of hair behind her ear, then sighed. "Okay. Who wants to break the news to him?"

Logan leaped up suddenly, throwing his arms in the air. "Me! Oh my god, me, I wanna say it!" Rachel glanced over at Logan & waved her hand, forcing Logan's arm down to the side with her mystic energy. He sighed, then rolled his eyes as he pouted. "Man," he whined.

Kori smiled, stepping up towards Richard. She had her fingers interlocked in front of her, as though she were keeping her hands together to contain her excitement. Kori let out a soft giggle, then cleared her throat. "As former members of the Titans unit, as well as new friends that have fought alongside us most recently, we have decided to revive our team." Kori glanced around the cave, smiling at each person around Richard. "After the wake of recent events, we have proven that the world is in much better hands when we stand united, not broken."

Richard was at a loss for words. He bit his lip, surveying the people around him. Everyone's smile showed a sense of approval among them. Richard couldn't believe it. "You...you want to start up the Titans again?" he asked. "After….everything that's happened?"

Kori nodded with a smile. She turned to Cheyenne, who walked over to her. Kori took Cheyenne's hand & reached for Richard's, holding the two hands in her own. She turned back to RIchard. "We finally have all of our loved ones back once again. We can continue to forge stronger bonds with one another," Kori said, turning towards the people behind Richard, "& perhaps even begin new blossoming friendships as well."

Cheyenne brought her hand up to Richard & smiled. "I know how much the team meant to you. I...I know what I did back in Gotham was reckless, & I'm not really good at containing my abilities once I use them, but I want to try. I want to get better, & I know that working alongside you & your team is going to help me again." Cheyenne then turned to Kori & glanced back at Rachel behind her, who smiled back. "Plus...I know I'm in good hands again."

Richard sighed. He bit his lip, turning towards Victor over by the computer console. "And you, big guy? You're...you're ready for this again?"

Victor nodded, smiling. "Yeah, man. I think it's about time we got the team back together. For real."

Richard smiled, scratching his head. He turned to face M'gann & Evelyn. He knew the archeress had a live back in Star City, & M'gann's life being in a whole other dimension. He was shocked that the two of them had come back to the Titans after everything. "You ladies willing to come back & fight with us?"

M'gann nodded. "Of course, Richard." She nodded towards Zatanna, who smiled at Richard. "Your friend has already offered to send me back to my Earth, where I am supposed to be imprisoned at the DEO."

Richard shook his head. "M'gann, you don't-"

"I do," M'gann said, cutting Richard off. "My friend J'onn is expecting me to still be there. I...I want to earn my friend's trust. To do so, I must continue my stay there. But once I am willing & able, I will return when you need me. I promise you."

Richard smiled, then turned to Evelyn. "You?" he asked.

Evelyn sighed, crossing her arms. "Sure," she said. "I'll think about coming back. I just...have unfinished business back home. I know you understand."

Richard nodded, waving the young girl off. He glanced at Kaldur'ahm, who held a weak smile on his face. He most likely knew that his king was missing, still. Richard bit his lip, then stepped towards the Atlantean. "I'm not asking for you to stay permanently," Richard called, "but you can stay as long as you like. You're a Titan, after all that you've done to help."

Kaldur's smile grew slightly bigger. He bowed his head towards Richard. "Thank you, my friend."

Richard turned back to face the rest of the group. Wally stepped forward, passing Logan. He held his hands up to his chest. He wore a big smile on his face. "Look, before you say anything, man, I know. I've gotta get better. I've gotta train more, & I will. I'll get better at doing the whole speedster thing. But I was really hoping-"

Richard waved the boy off, cutting him off. "Kid, be cool," he said. "You're in. Whenever you're ready."

Wally's eyes lit up. "Aw, thanks, man! I can't wait to tell Barry!"

Richard rolled his eyes at the young boy, then walked back to approach Kori & Cheyenne. "So...you guys are really ready to start the team up again, huh?" he asked.

"YES!" cried Logan from behind Kori & Cheyenne. The two turned back to see Logan glance at the two nervously. Logan turned to Conner beside him & nudged him. "Contain your excitement, dude," he said, playing off his outburst.

Conner glanced at Richard, then shrugged. "You heard Kermit. I'm ecstatic."

Richard let out a laugh, admiring the nonchalance in Conner's response. He hadn't realized how much he missed the Titans. He truly missed the antics that came with leading the team, despite everyone having their differences. They were still a family, & nobody could take that away from them again.

Richard smiled, crossing his arms over his chest. "So who's idea was this, then?" he turned to glance at Roy. "It was you, huh?"

Roy's eyes opened wide as he shrugged. "I, uh...came for moral support, & I also brought burgers." Roy nodded towards the computer console. "I set them down somewhere over there." Richard arched his eyebrow in confusion. Roy smiled softly, gesturing over to Rachel. "My best friend over there called me here, actually. She called everyone."

Richard turned to Rachel, who had stayed quiet. He walked over towards Rachel, who stood with her head held high. She, after all these years, had a sudden aura of strength about her. Her faint smile held such a sense of confidence. Her dark eyes glanced up at Richard, who had to look down at the short girl. "Rachel," he said softly, "you brought us together again?"

Rachel nodded, smiling. Logan approached Richard & Rachel & leaned his arm over Rachel's shoulder, then spoke. "You know, when we all got here, we thought we were setting up the Titans without you, so we made Rachel our new honorary team leader."

Richard scoffed in surprise, catching sight of Logan's snickering giggles. Jaime cleared his throat. "For the record, I called for you to be our leader still, Dick."

Richard shook his head, waving the young boy off. "No, it's all good," he said. Richard turned & smiled down at smiled at Rachel. "Raven is more than capable of leading this team." There was a soft murmur among the Titans around Richard. Rachel's eyes stayed traced on Richard, who shrugged. "Let's face it. I'm not like any of you. I'm just...Dick Grayson. I don't have superhuman strength, or healing abilities. I may very well not ever come back someday. It's...a terrible truth, but it's the truth." Richard turned to face the rest of the Titans. "I'm going to do the best that I can to continue to lead you, if you'll have me. The fact that you are all being this cooperative, after everything, it's...it's a miracle. I want this team to keep being strong, & this family to become even stronger, even when I'm not around."

The faces of the Titans around Richard grew solemn. They held their heads down, letting Richard's words sink into their hearts. His own heart ached at the sound off his words. He didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't lead the Titans again. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't. He held too much baggage as a man who lead the team blindly before. Now, after the invasion, he couldn't help but bring his mind back to Gotham, empty without a Dark Knight. He may have to go back & continue being the Bat. He wasn't sure if he would. He was torn between his duty to Bruce & his desire to chase his own destiny, & the Titans had only made it worse.

Suddenly, Richard felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Rachel's hand placed on him, her touch cold but familiar. She sighed, then shook her head. "We're not asking you to let me take over when you're dead. We're not going to let that happen, Dick. They just meant that, when you're busy living your own life, I can stick my head around & take care of your babies."

"I'm not a baby," Victor called from behind the computer console.

"You are when I kick your ass on the Xbox," Logan remarked.

The two began snarling at one another, causing the team to holler in laughter from the two's catty argument. Richard smiled as the Titans gathered to tease the two. Rachel brought her hand up to Richard's arm, tugging his shirt. He leaned down slightly to hear Rachel whisper softly. "This wasn't my idea, actually," she breathed.

Richard pulled away from Rachel, eyeing her for a moment. From the corner of his eye, he caught a sight of a Tim walking from a dark corner of the cave. He was focused on a small tablet in his hand. He was preoccupied, almost not noticing Richard's stare. Tim looked up at Richard suddenly & nodded. "Hey, Dick. Glad you could make it."

Richard walked towards the young boy. "Tim, you...you did this?"

Tim nodded with a soft smile. "Yeah, man." He brought his tablet up, revealing the screen to Richard. "I took a digital blueprint of the cave's interior, mapping out the layout. I'm gonna work on getting this cave up & running well enough to have the team operate out of here. I had Cyborg neurally connect to the console's mainframe, so he'll be able to help manage things if necessary."

Richard nodded, eyeing the boy. "I...guess that's good," he said softly. "But...what about what happened back at the Batcave?"

Tim bit his lip, nodding slowly. "I...haven't forgotten," he said. He brought the tablet down to the side & looked up at Richard. "The world needs the Titans just as much as the world needs Batman. That decision is still up to you, though. I set this team up in case you chose them."

Richard turned back to get a good look at the Titans once more. Logan & Victor were suddenly wrestling with one another. Jaime, Wally, & Roy were beside them cheering while Conner & Kaldur'ahm were off to the side, trying to ignore the mayhem. Zatanna & M'gann had began talking to Evelyn, while Rachel & Kori were watching Cheyenne utilize her telepathic abilities. The team had suddenly felt cohesive, more so than it ever did. Richard loved seeing everyone together like a family. It brought a warming comfort to his heart. It felt as though it was filling a hole in his chest that had been there for years. Richard wanted to smile, but...part of him still wondered if he really would ever be whole again. Was it the Bat he needed to become? Or was it the leader of the Titans?

Tim stepped beside Richard. "You're one of the best men I know, Dick. Whatever you decide...I know it's going to be the right call." Richard looked down at the young boy, who was smiling up at him. "I've got your back, no matter what you decide to do from here on out."

Richard nodded & smiled at Tim. He wrapped his arm around Tim & held him tight. He leaned close to the boy's ear. "I love you, man," Richard said softly, fighting back a tear. "You're a good brother."

"Hell yeah, I am," Tim replied, his words muffled in Richard's chest. The two laughed for a moment, then continued to watch the Titans bicker about nonsense, bringing Richard back into a realm of comfort, almost making his worries & doubts disappear from his mind.


	30. Chapter 30: Heavy

**Chpt. XXX: Heavy**

Richard stepped through the elevator doors, entering the hallway for the fourth floor of his apartment. Richard sighed in relief as he thought back to the events of the few hours. The Justice League was gone, & Batman was missing, but Richard still had options. The Titans were ready for action if they were to be called upon again, thankfully. The Titans were being led by Raven, with Tim offering to help on occasion when needed. With that being the case, Richard had the opportunity to become the Batman in Gotham City. It was an option for Richard, as well as joining the Titans again, but one thing was certain. Richard needed to catch some sleep.

Richard felt himself yawn as he passed the first few apartments, making his way down to his apartment. As tired as he was, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anxiety wash over him as his thoughts traced back to the predicament with the Batman. Richard really didn't want to become the Batman, that was sure. He knew he wouldn't do it willingly. If he had a choice, he wouldn't accept the suit. However, part of Richard felt as though he didn't have a say in the matter. He may very well have to become the thing he used to fear & grew to hate.

Richard rubbed his face with his hands. He had a choice. Tim said so; he would be supported no matter what he decided to do. Even Clark had said so. " _You'll make the right choice, sooner or later."_ Clark believed Richard would, but, that was based on his Earth. In Richard's life, the one he lived, he couldn't be sure that he would make the same choice as another alternate version of himself. There were too many variables to take into account, & Richard couldn't be sure that he'd make the right choice. He had no idea what he would do, let alone if it was even the right decision.

Richard sighed in defeat. Maybe not being the Batman would be alright. He could continue to be Nightwing, working alongside his friends in the Titans. Richard knew they could operate without him, having Rachel on duty. However, Richard couldn't help but think back to her panic attack back in Gotham during the invasion. She had almost died. If something like that were to happen again, Richard would need to be there for her. He couldn't leave her the burden of the team on her own. Even with Tim working with the Titans, he couldn't dedicate himself to them all. Tim had his own life, his girlfriend. Richard knew all of that. Richard needed to let Tim have the chance at a life that he never did. In fact...maybe it was time Richard had a life.

Richard smiled at the thought of relaxing for the rest of the day, eating Chinese takeout & opening an iced cold beer. To him, that was the best reward for all that he managed to accomplish during the week. As troubled as he was with other worries on his mind, he just needed downtime to relax & pretend to be normal one last time.

Richard turned to his left to spot his next door neighbor, Ms. Goldstein, open her apartment door slightly. Richard smiled at the elderly woman. "Hey, Ms. Goldstein," he said. "How was your week?"

Ms. Goldstein turned to spot Richard from behind her door & her eyes suddenly shot open. "Richard," she cooed. "You're...you're here?"

Richard nodded as he walked up to her door. "Yeah, I've been out town this week, but things got a little hairy."

Ms. Goldstein nodded. "Right, right...those strange attacks that happened. Those...aliens," she muttered. Richard eyed the woman for a moment, trying to piece together what had gotten her so nervous. She was always lighthearted & witty, despite her age, but...she looked different. Sadder. Confused, almost. Ms. Goldstein looked up at Richard. "Did you just get home?"

Richard nodded. "I was home earlier, but, I'm just getting back."

"Ah," Ms. Goldstein exclaimed, "I see!" She let out a soft laugh. "Silly me, I've been hearing things, then."

"Hearing things?" Richard asked.

"Yes, well, I heard a racket coming from your apartment, & I had presumed it was you, but, perhaps it was your girlfriend. Barbara, was it? That redhead must be up to something for you."

Richard eyed the neighbor carefully. He knew she had begun to confuse Cheyenne with Barbara, but...that was impossible. Cheyenne was still in D.C., & Barbara was back in Gotham. Neither of them could've beaten Richard to his apartment, & even so, how would they have gotten into his apartment? Who was making that racket?

"Is something the matter?" Ms. Goldstein asked.

Richard shook his head, feeling a rush of nervousness wash over him. "N-no, Ms. Goldstein. Nobody has been home all day. Not to my knowledge, at least."

Ms. Goldstein gasped. "Oh my gosh, Richard!"

Richard opened the apartment door wide, stepping into Ms. Goldstein's apartment. He grabbed her by the shoulders & walked her to her kitchen. He turned her around & made her face the stove. He reached for a nearby pot & placed it under the sink, where he ran the tap water for a few moments, then placed the pot on the stove. He turned on the stove, letting it warm the pot. "I'm going to get your tea started, Ms. Goldstein, alright?"

Ms. Goldstein turned to face Richard, looking up at him from her short height. "Sweetie, we need to call 911!"

Richard nodded. "I'm going to take care of it, Ms. Goldstein. Whoever is in there, I'm going to take care of it." Richard reached in the sink for the top to the pot & placed it on the pot. The whistle on the top began to hiss as steam was released from the pot, causing a blaring sound. He turned back to his neighbor. "I need you to to let this tea run, okay? No matter what you hear next door, do not stop making this tea."

"Richard, you're scaring me!"

Richard shut his eyes tight, fighting back his frustration. "I need you to listen to me, Elenor. Whatever you hear, do NOT come out of your kitchen, & do NOT stop making this tea. I'm going to handle it."

Richard turned to walk, but was pulled back by Ms. Goldstein. She brought him to a close, tight hug, bringing his upper body down towards her short neck. "You be careful, young man, alright?"

Richard smiled, rubbing his neighbor's back softly. He pulled back, then walked out of the kitchen & to the apartment door, still able to hear the whistle of the pot kettle on her stove. Richard shut the apartment door behind him, hoping that the kettle was enough to drain out whatever horrifying sounds of violence she might hear.

Richard stepped from his neighbor's door & turned towards his own apartment door. He glanced at the doorframe, taking in all of the details. He noticed it was still intact by its hinges. If there was a forced break in, it didn't come from the front door. If they entered from his balcony, they either could have broken into an apartment on the same floor and hopped across to reach Richard's balcony, or they scaled the building. Either one of those cases meant that the intruder was a skilled robber, but, definitely not one working in a group. A group would use the front door, & with the door intact, Richard was confident that he was dealing with one intruder.

Richard reached into his back pocket for his apartment key. He held the keychain in his hand tightly, doing his best not to let the jingle of his keys ring, alarming his intruder. He reached into his pocket with his right hand, removing a small stick. He squeezed it tight, feeling it extend into a long escrima stick. He took a deep breath, preparing to engage in whatever combat he might face.

Richard inserted his apartment key into the keyhole carefully, unlocking his door slowly. The door unlocked silently enough, allowing him to reach for the doorknob & turn it just as quietly, not making a sound. He pulled the door slightly open, then peaked into the apartment. He spotted his couch from across the living room, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Richard pulled the door open even more, then stepped inside, shutting the door behind him quietly. He made sure that if he was to be stopped by the intruder, they wouldn't rush through an open front door.

Richard turned to face his apartment, feeling more uneasiness as he saw his apartment practically the same as he had left it, except his balcony glass door was pulled open. Wind was gusting through the glass door, howling in his seemingly empty apartment. Richard bit his lip nervously. He glanced down at the floor, but spotted no tracks of footprints of any kind. Richard turned & glanced at his kitchen, but spotted nobody inside.

Richard felt his grip on his escrima stick tighten as he turned to his bedroom door, which had been left slightly ajar. He stepped closer to his bedroom door, then bent low into a fighting stance. He shot his leg forward, kicking his bedroom door open, then leaped forward, swinging his stick at whoever was in there. He brought his stick down to the ground & looked up. Richard let out a frustrated roar when he found that nobody was in his apartment. Was Ms. Goldstein really just hearing things? Was her mind going already? If so, why was his balcony door open?

Richard stood up & turned to leave his bedroom when he saw a tall, slender stranger in a military grade uniform with black padding & dark gray camo print across patches of the outfit. The person had straps across their waist & legs & arms, armed to the teeth in blades & guns. Richard gasped as his eyes trailed up to see a familiar symbol on the chest plate. It was a crimson colored X plastered on the armor, resembling the same X marking on the stranger's mask. The mask was a grayish white mask, glistening in the light as it reflected off of the mask's skull shape. A red X was placed across the mask as well, bringing the design into a full circle. It was the same armor that Richard had created when he first went undercover as Deathstroke's protégé. It was the Red X.

Richard's heart beat hard, almost begging to explode from his chest. He felt his fingers grow numb as he struggled to stand, feeling his legs wobble. Fear washed over him like a wave drowning him, pushing him further into a dark sea of uncertainty. "Wh-who are you?" he managed to breathe.

The Red X stepped towards Richard, making long steps. He reached Richard quickly, bringing his hands down to grab Richard's shirt collar. Richard was inches from the mask, but unable to see into the eyes of the mask. Richard remembered designing the mask to hide his eyes under it, allowing him to see others but not letting others see him. Now somebody was using it against him, & it made Richard furious.

Richard acted fast. He brought his escrima stick down onto the Red X's arms, causing him to release his grip on Richard. As his escrima stick fell on the ground, Richard brought his feet into his chest then kicked outward, sending the Red X flying out of the bedroom onto the ground. Richard ran to the intruder, but was caught off guard by the Red X rolling up from his back onto his feet. The Red X lunged forward, throwing two quick punches at Richard. Richard blocked a third punch, then threw his knee into the stranger's gut. The Red X doubled over, then performed a front flip, bringing the heel of his foot down on Richard's head. Richard felt back onto his bed, rubbing the top of his head. He glanced up at the Red X, who removed a long blade from a strap on his ankle. The Red X held the blade loosely, flipping it between his fingers. This person was a professional.

Richard spread his legs apart as the Red X brought the blade down onto the bed between his legs. Richard rolled backward, then leaped forward, pushing the Red X back onto the ground. Richard reached over for his escrima stick that he dropped on the ground & threw it towards the intruder. The stick bounced off of Red X's mask, failing to stun them even for a second. The Red X approached Richard fast, then threw a fast punch at Richard. The blow connected with Richard's nose, causing blood to spray from the impact of the fist. The Red X threw two more punches; Richard blocked one, but was unable to block the second, receiving the blow on his eye. Richard fell back onto the ground, groaning in pain. He looked up at the intruder, who's hidden eyes seemed to be laughing at Richard's failure.

The Red X tilted its head slightly, glancing down at Richard. The intruder then turned & began walking away from the downed Richard. As the intruder made his way through the bedroom door, Richard quietly crawled his way towards his nightstand. As he reached the drawer, he ran his hand underneath the wooden surface on the bottom of the drawer. He gripped his hand around the handgun hidden there & removed it from its socket. He stood up & removed the safety from his pistol, then ran towards the bedroom door. He aimed his gun at the intruder when he felt a sudden sensation in his chest. He eyed the intruder, who held their hand outward, as if they had just thrown something. Richard glanced down at his chest, & his eyes widened in horror as the X-shaped blade protruded from his chest. Blood was dripping from the wound, dampening his shirt. His blood soaked shirt had begun dripping drops onto the hardwood floor.

Richard glanced back up at the Red X, seeing the intruder prepare for another blow. Richard's knew what to do next, but his mind had already began to slow down. Richard reached for the blade in his chest & yanked it out. Blood sprayed from the wound as Richard tossed the blade aside & shot the gun with his other hand. The gunshot echoed in the apartment, but the bullet must've ricocheted from the Rex X's armor, as the intruder made their way towards Richard with such unsettling calmness. Richard watched as the Red X removed a long blade from his hip & shoved it deep into Richard's stomach, piercing his skin all the way through his body. Richard felt the sharp pain sting as his throat began to feel clogged with thick blood. He coughed & gagged, unable to breathe normally. He shut his eyes tight, fearing the sight at what his body looked like now. He didn't want to see what he would look like in his last moments.

Richard felt the blade yank itself out of his body, shifting organs inside of his own body. Richard turned to look at the Red X & tried to step towards the intruder, but slipped on the wet, bloody floor. He fell back, hitting his head against the edge of his bed. He felt his body collapse, & as he laid on the ground, he felt as though he was sinking deeper & deeper into the ground, drowning in the thickness of his own blood. He knew this was the end. He knew the sensation was too otherworldly to be anything but death. The numbing of his chest spreading across his limbs, his body beginning to cool to a freezing temperature, & his inability to remember the names of those that he feared he was about to leave behind in the world; Richard knew it was all leading to the end. Finally, Richard felt his eyes grow heavier & heavier. He used all of his own strength that he had used before to fight aliens & superpowered villains to try to lift those heavy eyelids, but they were too heavy. Everything was just too heavy.

 **END**


End file.
